


The Hands of Time

by Teardrops (OYaeYun)



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Death, Depression, F/M, Gore, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Nudity, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Content, Sexual Harassment, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-03-06 14:26:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 59,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18852907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OYaeYun/pseuds/Teardrops
Summary: [Ten years after the defeat of Naraku]. A rift in time threatens the past, present, and future; bringing forth old and new faces to the fight. Thrust into a new journey and with time not on her side, Kagome must solve the mystery swiftly... with an unlikely companion that she cannot turn down.





	1. Another Day...

**Author's Note:**

> This is set ten years after Naraku's defeat which means Kagome is 28 at this time. The explicit rating is more-so to be on the safe side but there will be at least one or two descriptive gore scenes. I will be posting the ages in the next chapter in case anyone wants to know the ages of everyone. 
> 
> [SPECIAL NOTE]  
> \- There will be M/M, F/W, and Open Relationship mentions but will not be pertaining to the main ship or canonical character ships so I did not tag it.  
> \- For the time being, this will not have a set schedule and will (more likely than not) be uploaded slowly. I have another story that I am also working on and a busy schedule.  
> \- Chapters published will not be this long; the longer the chapters, the longer between updates.  
> \- Enjoy!

"So, what happened with Hojo?"

Kagome winces and stops sipping her drink, lips loosening around the black and white straw as she sits back in her seat. " _Nothing_ happened with Hojo. Geez, we don't see each other in forever and it's like we're back in high school." She snorts, rolling her eyes but ending on a smile.

"It's fate, Kagome!" Ayumi smiles, Yuka and Eri nod in agreement.

Kagome sighs. _'Fate. Trust me, I've had my fair share of dealing with fate.'_ "Guys, what's wrong with taking fate into my hands?" _  
_

Eri frowns. "You're twenty-eight Kagome. _Twenty_ _Eight_. You don't have a boyfriend and you haven't had one since that jealous guy in high school! It's like you're sitting in a rocking chair, just waiting for a guy to fall on your lap. Hojo is like the perfect guy!"

Sighing once more, Kagome turns her head towards the window to her right. "He's... nice. He's a good guy but I'm not interested in him. I don't know, maybe in high school he was my type but-" Kagome snaps her head, staring her friends down. "Hey! I told you guys that I would only come here if you guys didn't grill me about my love life and for the past-" Kagome glances down at her watch. "-thirty-two minutes it's been non-stop love talk!"

"Hey, why are you glaring at me? I haven't said anything!" Yuka whines.

"Oh yeah, but who set this meeting up, huh?" Kagome arches an eyebrow, arms crossed as Yuka chews on her bottom lip.

"So, what _do_ you want to talk about? How about a girls night?" Yuka asks, thinking herself sly.

"Oh, sure so you three can get me drunk and make me spill everything about my non-existent love life? No, thanks... besides-"

"' _I'm busy_ '." Kagome's three friends finish for Kagome.

"Yeah yeah, we know Curator Higurashi." Eri rolls her eyes and sits back, slumping in her seat as she sips her drink loudly.

"And speaking of busy-" Kagome smiles apologetically. "Rain check! I have-"

"Work." Ayumi grimaces. "I swear Kagome, you're all work and no fun."

"I'm sorry girls, I'll text you?" Kagome slips her purse onto her left shoulder before squeezing out the seating booth. "Today is on me, see you later!"

"You better text us!" Ayumi shouts as Kagome runs out the restaurant, waving bye.

The three collectively sigh. "It's not like our love lives are any better." Eri mumbles.

"Yeah, and that's why we're all trying to live vicariously through Kagome."

Another sigh from the three women before they fall into silence, sipping at their drink.

=====Feudal Japan=====

"Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin smiles at the daiyōkai, fingers delicately tracing the patterns of her new kimono. "This one is especially beautiful."

Sesshomaru responds with a small 'hn', but Rin understands her lord very well and knows the weight behind the simple sound.

"I couldn't ask for a better birthday gift, Lord Sesshomaru. I will be sure to wear it tomorrow." Rin folds the kimono, delicately, and returns it to its box. "Oh, Lord Sesshomaru, there will be a festival held tomorrow as well! I know you don't like human festivals but I wanted to ask you just in case you would make an exception for my birthday?" She blinks her eyes consecutively, attempting to give Lord Sesshomaru the best puppy eyes she can. "Lady Kagome said that turning twenty-one (21) is a very big deal."

Sesshomaru's expression doesn't change but he takes her words into consideration. It is true that he does not find enjoyment in human festivals, in fact he dislikes them greatly... but he could possibly make a compromise of sort for Rin. He does not know much about human culture (nor does he care for them), especially when it comes to things related to celebrations, but he is aware of the fragility of time of humans and how precious they find celebrations in relation to age. Sesshomaru cannot understand why the number twenty-one specifically holds high meaning, but he will trust Rin's word. "I will visit but I will not stay."

Rin clasps her hands together. "Oh, thank you, Lord Sesshomaru!" She bows politely to Sesshomaru, hands folded carefully over her abdomen as she bends.

Sesshomaru responds with his usual 'hn', turning on his heels and exiting the hut. He's barely four steps outside before Rin rushes out, following close behind. "Rin-"

"Please, Lord Sesshomaru, let me walk you to the exit of the village." Rin steps up to Sesshomaru's side, smiling small to her lord. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful but... I don't you see you as often as before. I know you're very busy, Lord Sesshomaru, so I'm very very thankful you take time to visit me...." Rin shrugs lightly. "I guess I want to use every opportunity I can to be with you, before you have to leave again... so even if it's only a little while more, it would mean a lot to me."

 Sesshomaru doesn't argue against her wishes. Rin understands this as permission to walk Sesshomaru to the exit of the village.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asks, fingers intertwined behind her lower back.

"Yes?" Sesshomaru asks in turn, voice barely a whisper.

"Thank you." Rin smiles. "I mean, thank you for everything you've done for me. Thank you for giving me a second chance at life, thank you for letting me stay with Priestess Kaede and everyone else, thank you for visiting me all these years and bringing me presents, and thank you for-" Rin bites her lower lip, her voice cracking at her last thank you.

Sesshomaru could smell the salt of her tears before Rin even began to thank him, so he isn't surprised in the least when they finally fall, but what does surprise him is the fact that her tears are not tears of gratitude but rather sadness. "Rin?" He asks, wanting an explanation for her sadness.

"I- I just... I don't want to be a burden." Rin whispers softly. "You're a lord, you don't have the time to be visiting me any-"

"Rin." Sesshomaru interrupts, eyes slightly narrowed- not in anger but in question. "Do you think me weak?"

Rin turns to Sesshomaru with eyes wide, staring into Sesshomaru's golden eyes. "No, my lord! You are the strongest demon in all the lands!" She says, words genuine and spoken without hesitation.

"Then you cannot be a burden to this Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru turns from Rin and continues down the path, Rin jogging up to him shortly after.

"But... Lord Sesshomaru, I- I don't-"

"It is but the bare minimum that I am tasked with. If I were not capable of such small responsibilities, would I be deserving of my station?" Sesshomaru halts, having arrived at the exit of the village.

Rin bites her lip, eyes sliding to the left as she cocks her head slightly and shifts her weight to left hip. After a moment of thinking, she says "Lord Sesshomaru, I don't think you understand." She straightens with a smile. "But your words made me feel better... so thank you, my lord."

Sesshomaru arches an eyebrow, slightly. The action missed by Rin. "There is something I do not understand?"

Rin laughs. "It's a human thing." She waves a hand dismissively. "Have a safe travel, Lord Sesshomaru!" She bows to Sesshomaru, waving goodbye as she jogs the path back to the center of the village.

Sesshomaru remains at the exit of the village until Rin is amongst what she considers trustworthy humans. When he deems her to be safe, he turns his back to the village and takes flight, his mind attempting to understand what human concept he is unable to understand.

'No,' He decides. 'It is not that I cannot understand but rather that it is beneath me, unworthy of my time to dissect such a topic.'

At that, his brief curiosity is squashed and his priority shifts to matters at hand regarding his rule.

===== Modern Day =====

Kagome tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear, lightly tilting her head to the side. She musters every ounce of restrain in her to force a sweet smile on her face, hands tightening around the edges of the clipboard held against her chest. "That's quite... _flattering_ , Dr. Saito, but I'm... not interested in your offer." She says with a chuckle, attempting to soften the blow of rejecting the man.

If it had been outside of her work and if it hadn't been against a man that holds great power in her field of work, as she is constantly reminded by her employer, Kagome is sure she would have raised hell against the salacious son-of-a-bi-

"Come now, Kagome-" Dr. Saito chuckles, clearly undeterred but Kagome's refusal or mistaking Kagome's chuckle for a coy laugh. Probably both.

"Curator Higurashi." Kagome smiles, though still very much forced.

"-you don't have to be shy around me." Dr. Saito chuckles, ignoring Kagome's correction and taking a step towards her even as she takes a step back. "It would be a wonderful evening-" Dr. Saito takes a few steps forward and Kagome backwards until Kagome's back hits a display table. Dr. Saito takes the opportunity to trap Kagome in by placing his hands on either side of the display table behind Kagome. He then leans forward as Kagome bends back- her smile faltering as her grip tightens almost painfully around the clipboard.

"-and even more... _eventful_... night." Dr. Saito smirks.

'Gross, gross, gross, gross!' Kagome screams in her head, her restraint almost breaking entirely. She forces the top of the clipboard against Dr. Saito's chest, wishing the clip could magically turn the disgusting beast into a pile of ashes- or that she could if he were a demon- and forces her smile back strong and just as fake as it always is around him. "Boundaries, Dr. Saito, this is very unprofessional-" Kagome pushes against his chest with the clip part of the clipboard, smiling genuinely inside as she notices his pained wince. She doubles her efforts. "-and I would absolutely hate it if you were no longer able to do business with the Tokyo Museum of Historical Artifacts-"

Dr. Saito leans back, arms returning to his sides. Kagome takes the opportunity to slip away, regaining her 'professional' posture and smile.

"Is that a threat, Kagome?" Dr. Saito asks, voice low, warning Kagome to watch herself.

Kagome knows that tone all too well. It has been used against curators before her to break their will, to make them coward in front of him- reminding curators that he has more than enough influence, connections, and money to end their careers with a mere snap of his fingers if they don't bend over backward for him. People tend to gossip that the reason why curators don't last long at the Tokyo Museum of Historical Artifacts is due to high demands, sacrifices, and workload- and while that maybe a reason for some- Kagome is aware of the true reason: Dr. Saito. Dr. Saito and power-abusing assholes like him. Now, Kagome doesn't hate many things and this is even truer for people, but she has nothing but absolute hatred for people like Saito. She hates, with a burning passion, those that use their power, however it may be presented or held, to take advantage of the powerless. She hated them as a child when the popular classmates would bully the unpopular classmates, she hated them as teenager in feudal Japan when the greed of the rich and powerful would become the hole in the ground for the poor and weak, and she hated them now when physical, sexual, and emotional abusers would force people out of a job, the industry, or become the final straw broken for people fighting for another day. She absolutely despises them.

In fact, Kagome still remembers the vivid image of a past curator- a young woman who had been known for being shy but also a hardworking woman as well. Kagome connected with her almost immediately and they soon become close friends. They would have lunch together, stay late working together, help one each other, and travel together to work and from work when possible. They even managed to travel to other cities for work-related assignments. They became nearly inseparable in the work force. Minami. They had become sisters, in Kagome's eyes. For five years their friendship grew and grew until it became an unbreakable bond, or so Kagome thought.

"Kagome."

Kagome blinks, thoughts broken and mind refocused on the matter at hand. For a brief moment, she feels her spiritual powers boil beneath her skin, hot and ready to be unleashed... and Kagome finds herself wishing that she could use them on him, teach him a lesson he will never forget... but nothing happens. Nothing happens because Kagome makes sure to keep her composure... for the promise made.

"Yes, Dr. Saito?" Kagome asks, voice sweet and soft.

"I asked you, was that a threat?"

"A threat?" Kagome's eyes widen in feigned surprise. "Dr. Saito, you are the most valuable conservator of the Tokyo Museum of Historical Artifacts. In fact, if I may be so bold, I believe you're one of the most valuable conservator's of all of Japan, if not the world." Kagome gestures to the many displays in the room. "Many of these displays would not be on display if not for your unsurpassed skills. How could I threaten someone of your stature, Dr. Saito?"

Kagome notices the way Dr. Saito grows more and more lax with her praises. "It sure did sound like a threat, Kagome." Dr. Saito's statement isn't phrased as a question but Kagome knows he wants an explanation and not just praise.

"My deepest apologies for sounding so offending. The Tokyo Museum of Historical Artifacts is _the_ grandest of all museums in Japan, not to mention the fact that it holds second place worldwide in rank for most professionalism-"

"Where are you getting at, Kagome?"

Kagome smiles, sweet. "A museum of such high importance is valuable." Kagome gestures at the many cameras in the room, both hidden and obvious. "An unprofessional act would tarnish your reputation and it would be a great tragedy if that were to happen."

Dr. Saito rolls his eyes. "Did you forget the part where I have connecti-"

"But of course not, Dr. Saito," Kagome interrupts, already reaching the limit of how long she can withstand being in his presence- let alone having to interact with him. "You are a great and powerful man," Kagome bites back the urge to gag at her words. "I fear, however, that with the involvement of the police-"

"The police?" Dr. Saito's eyes widen slightly, but Kagome notices. "The police are slackers-"

"Yes, haven't you heard?" Kagome gasps, one hand to her mouth. "The press has been pressuring the police to investigate the high turnover rate of the employees of the museum, specifically the curators. We know that the police can't be relied on, but the higher ups? They have been pressured relentlessly by the people and the press to investigate." Kagome shakes her head, feigning concern for Dr. Saito. "Dr. Saito, the recordings are analyzed by private groups weekly- even the director has been walking on eggshells around the police."

Kagome enjoys the brief worry that crosses Dr. Saito's face. "How do you know this?"

"Don't you know, Dr. Saito? We curators have been questioned-"

"Questioned? Questioned... how?"

"Oh, about how we're treated and how we feel working here. There were a few questions about any inappropriate behavior by our superiors-"

Dr. Saito looks worried for the second time. "Inappropriate? Ha! What are these people assuming here? No one behaves inappro- are they suggesting that the employees here are-"

"Laughable, isn't it?" Kagome sighs, continuing to fake sympathy for Dr. Saito.

" _Laughable_?" Dr. Saito reiterates, voice hard as he growls the word in anger. "It's infuriating, that's what it is! Hah! How dare they-!"

Kagome nearly flinches but manages to hold her ground as the man continues his speech. She never witnessed Dr. Saito angry, having always been sweet as honey to the bastard, but she has heard of his poor temper. How many poor souls had to endure such behavior?

She composes herself again, ready to end the conversation once and for all- or maybe just for now, Dr. Saito's persistence is only rivaled by Death's persistence. Sometimes she even thinks it surpasses Death. "Dr. Saito, please, I meant to say that is laughable that they would think so poorly of you. You're a very respectful and proper man."

God, Kagome wonders when she became such a good liar. She probably has her job to thank.

She watches the anger drain from Dr. Saito's face, the praise obviously working, and replaced by... _lust_.

It takes everything in Kagome to not recoil in disgust from the perverted look on his face, the way that Dr. Saito's eyes roam over her body. She feels sick to her stomach.

"I'm so glad you see it that way, Kagome."

"Curator Higurashi." Kagome reminds, adding, "For the sake of avoiding suspicion, you shouldn't address me so casually."

"I'd prefer to address you as Ms. Higurashi wouldn't that still be considered appropriate?" Dr. Saito turns pliable, no doubt from the endless praise from Kagome. "Yes, I think that's a better fit, don't you? It's only just, since you address me as doctor instead of conservator."

Kagome takes it as a victory, anything to create distance between the two. "Only because you suggested it, Dr. Saito."

"I did? Hmn...." Dr. Saito thinks to himself. "Well, if you say so, it must be true." He laughs.

Kagome laughs along, her laugh untrue and forced- but he doesn't notice or perhaps doesn't care, either way, Kagome is exhausted and decides to make her exit. "Well, it was a lovely conversation but I'm off work-" Kagome points at the clock on the wall behind him.

When Dr. Saito's revolting gaze leaves her, Kagome takes the opportunity to power walk away from him, barely throwing a good day over her shoulder when he attempts to reel her in for another conversation, no doubt to ask her out.

How nauseating.

Kagome is quick in getting her items from her locker, being vigilant in case Dr. Saito 'accidentally' walks into the wrong locker room. His 'accidents' are Kagome's reason for not showering or changing at work. When she gathers her things, probably setting a personal best with her speed, she swiftly makes her way out. It's no surprise to her when she sees Dr. Saito down the hall, no doubt about to have another of his 'accidents'. Without a moment's hesitation, Kagome makes a sharp turn for the hallway to her left, slipping out of her heels before sprinting down the hallway to the back exit of the museum. She pauses long enough to swipe her badge and present her fingerprint to the scanner, making her escape before Dr. Saito can so much as catch a glimpse of her.

Now, Kagome is aware that she appears to be no better than a madwoman; sprinting at an impressive speed down the street in professional attire, barefooted, heels in her hands, and fire in her eyes. Still, she doesn't stop running until she reaches the bus stop, knowing full well that it wouldn't be beyond Dr. Saito to 'accidentally' come across her at the bus stop in his car and offer her a ride home. He had done it before, many times before, it was a reason for her taking up more work just so she could avoid the beast. Kagome learned that if she runs to the nearest bus stop, full speed, she can catch the bus by the skin of her teeth- meaning that she can get on the bus before Dr. Saito has the opportunity to fetch his vehicle and make it to the stop before her.

It's a routine for her, almost, and Kagome has resigned herself to accepting it as such. In fact, Kagome likes to think of it as a surprise workout- as if she needed to workout more than she already does. Because of her body growing accustom to the high physical demands of existing in the feudal era, Kagome had to join a gym in her time. She would have never thought of herself as a 'gym lover' type of person, but then again she would have never thought to somehow end up in feudal Japan- much less with demons and the sort... so she guesses growing to love exercise wouldn't be too outlandish of a belief. At first, she had been self-conscious about her thick thighs- the ideal beauty of her country being far from what her body had been sculpted into- but slowly, she began to feel pride in her body just as she felt a sense of pride from the scars gained from battles.

Still, Kagome is human and upon reaching the bus stop, she collapses onto the bench- chest rising and falling rapidly as her body begins to recover. She ignores the usual looks from those nearby, whether walking or waiting for the bus as well.

God, she can't wait until her car is fixed up so she won't have to deal with broken stockings and aching feet... and weird looks. Kagome continues to ignore them as slips into her heels. She slips her right index and middle finger under the sleeves of her left arm to grab her hair tie off her wrist and tie her hair back into a high ponytail. Kagome finishes as her bus arrives, entering with a bright smile to greet the bus driver- still ignoring the odd looks from fellow passengers; having earbuds in throughout the entirety of the ride helps.

Upon arriving home, Kagome greets the dimly lit apartment with her usual, "I'm home". She's answered with a mew.

She slips out of her heels, dropping them into the corner of the entrance and slipping into her house slippers. "Well, how was your day, Caramel?" Kagome asks her cat as it enters the kitchen, mewing in greeting and rubbing itself against Kagome's calves in affection. "Missed me that much, huh?"

Kagome tells her tale of the day to Caramel as Kagome fills Caramel's bowl of food and water, dropping to her hunches to scratch Caramel behind the ears- moving to Caramel's chin when the feline purrs and leans into Kagome's touch. "Well, what do you think, Caramel? Will you help me dispose of his body?" Kagome jokes.

Caramel mews affectionately.

Kagome smiles. "Good girl."

The evening and the early night are spent meal prepping, readying herself for bed, and sending a silent prayer that she won't have to deal with that pig tomorrow. She doubts her prayer will be answered.

Sighing, Kagome turns off her night lamp. "Goodnight, Caramel." She says to the feline in the corner of the room, the feline comfortable in its bed, and turns onto her side.

"Another day." Kagome whispers to herself before slipping into slumber.


	2. Reach

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Blood, Graphic Violence, Gore
> 
> A/N: There will be grammatical errors, feel free to mention them in the comments and I will correct them.
> 
> Ages of Mortal Characters:  
> Kagome [28] | Sango [29] | Miroku [31] | Rin [21] | Kohaku [24] |

"O-oh, Lord Sesshomaru, i-is it safe to come out?" Comes out a shrill voice followed by the pattering of webbed feet. "Eee!" The little demon screeches as his feet splatter over puddles of blood, the staff of the little demon penetrating corpses as the toad demon attempts to find purchase with the staff to avoid face-planting into blood... or worse, a cadavers.

Sesshomaru doesn't respond, focused on assessing his surroundings. ' _Hn_ ,' Sesshomaru's eyes narrow, lips pulled downward in a barely noticeable act of displeasure, all due to the flickering of his yōki beneath his skin. ' _There is something...._ '

The feeling of unrest has been with Sesshomaru for far too long, far too strong, and without promise of letting up. To many, a flickering of yōki would be basic instinct, warning of the most minute danger- but for a daiyōkai? No, the flickering of his yōki, as slight as it may be, is his demon blood at a state of unrest from something... _unnatural_. A foreign source that Sesshomaru cannot compare to any of his past battles nor encounters. To make matters even further irritating, whenever he attempts to make a scent-based reading on the source, the source seems to simply  _disappear_. That, too, is puzzling. If the source of his unrest would have attempted to conceal itself, Sesshomaru would have sensed, at the bare minimum, a glimmer, of a barrier or something akin to an aura- but, no, it was as if the source ceased to exist, not leaving the lightest trail of even _being._ Sesshomaru doesn't know how to handle the issue at hand, and that, is why his demon blood, his yōki, has been at a level of unrest for far too many new moons, nearly seven.

"M-My lord?" The toad demon asks softly, finally at his lord's side.

Sesshomaru flicks his right wrist in a swift fluid movement, scaring the poor little demon at his side- no doubt thinking the movement was aimed at him. The swift movement cleanses Sesshomaru of the fresh blood of his right hand, the blood landing on the toad demon. Sesshomaru ignores the squawk of the toad demon, eyes scanning the mass grave that he had created around himself. Another reason for his unrest has been the countless, meaningless, battles that he has attended to- each battle increasing in time and death count. It was annoying, such repetitive acts without any sort of reward was worthless and a waste of time. Sesshomaru isn't one to waste time nor is he the type to engage in senseless combat. Needless to say, Sesshomaru disposes of the demons swiftly each time- refusing to label such attacks as a threat.

Annoyance.

' _Everywhere,_ ' Sesshomaru begins his slow walk through the sea of corpses, bones crushing beneath his ankle-length boots. ' _And no answers to be found among living, dead, young, nor old._ '

"M-m-my lord! Please, wait on m- ack!" Jaken stumbles, ending face first in a cavity of a decapitated demon. He kicks his little legs and waves little his arms as he attempts to retract himself from the corpse.

Sesshomaru turns to his left, clawed fingers of his right hand twitching briefly before his hand strikes out to a demon, half-dead on the ground. Sesshomaru's clawed hand wraps itself around what little flesh remains of the demon's throat, claws digging into the sides. The demon gasps, making futile attempts to breathe more than Sesshomaru allows him to. Sesshomaru raises the demon off the ground with ease, the sleeve of his right arm rising to his bicep, and tightens its grip- warning the demon to cease his attempts of freeing himself. The demon grips at Sesshomaru's wrist to lessen the burn of Sesshomaru's hold. Sesshomaru ignores the light disgust that stirs with him of having decaying flesh touch his person.

"Speak." Sesshomaru orders. "You bare the touch of the source."

The demon chuckles. "I'm already dead, whatever you gonna do, it don't matter."

Sesshomaru is quick in his action. He pools enough of his yōki to spring forward, demon still held tightly, and slam the demon into a tree- breaking it with ease (and the demon's back) before slamming the demon down into the ground, leaving a small crater. The demon gasps in shock, groaning in pain as its conscious begins to fade. The mask of indifference of the demon shatters, leaving them bare and fearful, very fearful- Sesshomaru can tell by the scent; fear being emitted in waves. The corner's of Sesshomaru lips twitch upward. Finally, a sense of control, as small it may be, is a stroke to his demon blood.

"W-w-wait!" The demon gasps, hands of the demon- mostly bones and nerves, grips at Sesshomaru's wrist again. "Y-y-you w-w-wouldn't torture me! It ain't like you-!"

Sesshomaru allows his poison to seep from his claws and to the throat of the demon, it screams in agony- body thrashing as best it can with its limited mobility.

"Plea-se!"

He doesn't stop. The demon made two mistakes: one, it thought itself able to speak for Sesshomaru- what he would and wouldn't do, and two, it assumed a station of familiarity with Sesshomaru. As if Sesshomaru would dare lower himself to be on the same grounds as such a pathetic excuse of existence. It was an insult to his power, an insult of his blood. The demon will surely suffer and slow and excruciating death. Sesshomaru will make it so.

"I-I'll t-taaa- arrggh!" The demon suddenly gasps, his lungs filling with air- the crushing hold on his throat gone. "Wha-?" He begins to ask, blurred vision attempting to focus on the daiyōkai. He manages to spot a sliver of silver before he's screaming in agony again.

Sesshomaru moves his right hand inside of the demon's abdomen, searching for the appropriate organ to introduce his poison into. The demon's screams grow louder, pleas of mercy falling on deaf ears. "You will suffer for your impudence, vermin." Sesshomaru hisses at the demon, a sadistic smile gracing his face as the demon shed tears, continuing to plea for a swift a death.

The daiyōkai removes his hand, flicking it to remove the blood once again. He straightens from his once crouched position and looks down at his handiwork. Sesshomaru thinks his entry could have been cleaner, more precise. He makes a mental note for the next time.

"Y-you won't find out anything!" The demon screams, thrashing as the poison in his body begins to slowly eat away at him. "You'll fall, you'll fall- you won't-!" The demon gasps, thrashing turning into twitches, eyes wide- paralyzed by the light surfacing of Sesshomaru's yōki, silencing him in fear despite the anguish felt throughout his body.

"Your pathetic cries have brought to me a companion of yours, it appears. You are no longer needed." Sesshomaru flicks his left wrist, vertically slicing demon in half with his whip. The spray of blood draws another squawk from Jaken but Sesshomaru heeds him no mind, immediately sprinting into the forest behind him, eyes fixated on the said companion.

The demoness shows greatly agility and grace, evading Sesshomaru's rush with relative ease. Each attempt to come into contact with the demoness ends with the demoness evading and keeping a similar distance between herself and Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru decides to close the distance once and for all. The fingers of Sesshomaru's right hand crack as he flexes his fingers repeatedly, preparing to attack the demoness. To his surprise, the demoness charges toward him with her claws aimed at his throat. Sesshomaru is able to deflect with ease, spinning a swift 360 degree downward into a crouch before springing forward with his right hand aimed at her throat. The demoness bends back, hands coming to the ground to position herself in a handstand with her legs bent at the knees, she abruptly kicks up- aiming for Sesshomaru's outstretched wrist- the same one aimed at her throat a mere second ago.

Sesshomaru manages to pull his arm back to avoid the joint kick, but is unable to avoid the handstand positioned whirlwind kick of the demoness- the attack increased in power and speed by the use of her yōki. He manages to block, flowing yōki to his forearms to lessen the blow. The impact, and no doubt the clash of their yōki, causes an explosion of energy around them. A strong gust of wind is created from the impact and a shallow crater beneath the two- in the near distance he can hear Jaken screeching as he is, no doubt, impacted.

The two spring back simultaneously and just the same rush forward the mere second the tips of their feet connect with the ground, both using their yōki to increase both power and speed as they clash again.

It's a blur of martial art based combat with elegant avoidance between the the demon and the demoness, neither relenting. Sesshomaru manages to land a kick to the demoness' side but in turn taking an equally yōki powered punch to the chest, his armor nearly giving under the blow. His blood cautions him, to not underestimate the demoness and while he agrees, it's been far too long since he's had a worthy fight.

The demoness pulls back, landing in a way that avoids weight on the side kicked, a clawed hand coming to the bruised (at the minimum) left side. Sesshomaru takes the break in their fight to asses the demoness.

She is most definitely a daiyōkai in blood, he confirms- now able to get a better reading of her yōki. Her attire and markings serve to further cement his belief that she is far from an ordinary yōkai. Her features consist of straight light blonde hair, gray eyes with a indistinct flicker of green, a golden teardrop at the center of her forehead, one gray stripe on either side of her cheek- derived from the sides of her neck where they continue their path downward.

 _'Feline'_ Sesshomaru thinks, making the judgement from the mark on her forehead. "You have trespassed upon my lands."

"So it seems I have." She answers back, just as coolly as he had. Straightening, she continues. "You have seemed to have mistaken me as an associate of that demon, perhaps the great lord before me is not as great as he seems to be if he can make such a mistake."

"Your scent and his scent are heavy upon one another." Sesshomaru replies, unfazed by her sad attempt to rile him. "The only explanation is companionship... or perhaps is there more?"

"Bite your tongue, mutt!" The demoness snarls.

Sesshomaru smiles inwardly, very pleased with the ease win in their verbal debate. "Have you come to avenge your fallen lover?"

The demoness whirls, mustering her own light whip from the claws of her left hand- she whips towards Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru evades once, twice, thrice, and a final fourth before producing his own whip to combat her own. "A feline dares come onto the territory of a daiyōkai, surely a death wish- one I will grant."

"Halt!" Comes a fierce voice, tone even and commanding.

Sesshomaru allows himself to glance in the direction of the command, light whip disappearing, after the swift retreat of the feline demoness. The feline demoness immediately drops to her knees, head bowed. Sesshomaru can assess from the situation that the voice of the command is someone superior to the demoness- Sesshomaru stands his ground, hand ready to bring forth Tōkijin if need be.

"There's no need, pup." The voice says. "It has been a long time since I have last seen you and my haven't you grown. Don't tell me you don't remember this old cat. Doesn't Sai, ring a bell, young one?" They speak, voice suddenly softer, teasing.

Sesshomaru eyes the figure emerging from the trees, and yes, he does remember Sai. Sai was an old friend of his father, an advisor, and- as he remembers, a great sparring partner of his father. When his father was alive, the demoness was a superior to his father and even more so for Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru's eyes fall to the young demoness kneeling. "Elder Sai, explain this situation."

Elder Sai chuckles. "You're making a woman feel old by addressing me as an 'elder'. A few millenniums old and I'm suddenly an elder? What about that old tree, is he also an elder? He's old enough to be my great-great-great-grandfather." Elder Sai laughs. Despite her being millenniums old, her appearance is similar to a human woman in her 40's and though she does not detest being addressed by her rightful title, she prefers to be addressed otherwise.

"Elder Sai, you are friendly with the enemy!" The young demoness raises her head, eyes wide in shock at her elder.

"You hush, kit!" Elder Sai speaks, immediately silencing the young demoness. "If you bothered to even skim through the history of our clan, Haia, you would know that this man is Sesshomaru, first son of Tōga, daiyōkai and Lord of the Western Lands. Immediately seek forgiveness for your insolence!"

Sesshomaru also remembers just how fierce Elder Sai could be. She appears to be very human in her behavior, kind to a fault and energetic, but she rules with tradition and logic at heart. She was never one to break tradition without reason, never one to tolerate insolence- especially not from her kin. In fact, she was not known to be soft when it came to mentoring, _this_ Sesshomaru knows from his training with Elder Sai in his youth. He can only imagine the amount of beatings that the young demoness before him had taken to reach the level of fighting capabilities she displayed in combat. Still, the young demoness has a long way to go.

"F-Forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru. I've behaved like a lowly demon and I am unworthy to be in your presence." Haia stands, bowing to Sesshomaru first before kneeling and perform a deep apologetic bow- not moving until Sesshomaru decides his response.

He decides to leave her in that position until he is explained the situation... then he will make his decision. "Elder Sai, explain your visit to my lands."

Elder Sai smiles, closing the distance between her and the lord. "It's a beautiful day, pup, why don't we talk over flight?" She eyes Haia. "And if you don't mind me suggesting a punishment for Haia-?"

Sesshomaru gives a light nod.

Sai smiles wider. "Haia, why don't you follow the little toad demon," She points behind Haia as the toad demon stumbles out of a bush. "-to the mass grave that Lord Sesshomaru created and help with the clean up? Or would you like a less gracious punishment?"

Haia shakes her head. "N-No, thank you for your graciousness, Elder Sai. Thank you for your graciousness, Lord Sesshomaru."

"I see age has not done away with your preference of punishments, Elder Sai." Sesshomaru comments with a mixture of amusement and distaste of the memory of having had endured similar punishment from her in the past.

"I have no idea what you mean, now, follow me- try not to fall behind." Elder Sai laughs as she pools yōki beneath before taking flight, Sesshomaru following suit in the same manner.

 

======The Village of Inuyasha======

 

"Rin-chan, I don't think that's a good idea. We're kind of already pushing our luck as it is." Kohaku smiles as Rin rushes past him.

"Lord Sesshomaru doesn't like surprises, Kohaku-kun." Rin sighs, frustrated when the item she's looking for isn't under her sleeping mat. "Where-?"

"Your hairpin-?"

"Yes, the one Lord Sesshomaru gifted me! Kohaku, I can't find it- I-" Rin stops looking at Kohaku's finger pointed at the top of head, where her hair gathered up and held there by- "Oh." She says as she touches the hairpin, feeling the familiar design. "All along?"

"All along." Kohaku chuckles as Rin laughs at herself.

A comfortable silence falls between the two as they walk up to one another. Kohaku wrapping his arms around Rin's waist and Rin draping her arms around his shoulders, smiling brightly at Kohaku. "Trust me, Kohaku, I know Lord Sesshomaru well. He'd think I was hiding the truth from him, besides, Lord Sesshomaru likes you too."

Kohaku's eyes widen. "Lik- God," Kohaku steps back, trying not to look horrified. "Rin, if he heard you, my head would rol-"

Rin grabs Kohaku by the hands, pulling him against her and returning to their previous embrace. "He's not going to do anything to you... well, as long as you keep your promise of making me the happiest woman in the world." She blushes lightly, tilting her head to kiss Kohaku, the male tilting opposite-

"Kohaku- Oh." Sango stands at the entrance, staring at her little brother and Rin- the couple look back at Sango. "So, just friends, huh?" She smirks at her little brother, arms crossed before her chest and shifting her weight onto her left hip.

Kohaku releases Rin, jumping back with a reddened face. "W-w-we-!"

"Geez, Kohaku, what are you being so shy about? Sango-nee-chan knows about us. I told her... a very very long time ago." Rin joins Sango, the two women smiling at one another.

Kohaku only reddens further. "I-I... I didn't want to lie, it's just that... it's a bit... embarrassing."

"What, I'm embarrassing?" Rin teases.

"What?! Of course not! It's just... I'm growing up... taking the next step in my lif-"

Sango wraps her arms around her baby brother, nearly crushing him in her tight embrace as she sways with him in her arms. "Aw, my baby brother is becoming a man and he's embarrassed about it in front of his older sister? Is that it?" She laughs and so does Rin, much to Kohaku's dismay. "Don't worry, I'll teach you everything about-"

"Do not worry, dear Sango." Miroku interrupts, placing a hand on Sango's shoulder upon entering the hut. "I will help Kohaku overcome his shy natur-" He stops, feeling three pair of eyes on him in a most disapproving and suspicious glare. "What? Do you all doubt my pure intentions?" He feigns hurt, hand over his heart.

"Oh, you have intentions alright, and none of them are pure in the least." Sango elbows Miroku, smiling to herself when he steps back, wincing. "Lets leave the two lovebirds alone before you scare Kohaku to death."

"Scare? But, why, I only have but the best interest in mind. Say, I have heard of a honeymoon from Kagom-hrngh!" Miroku chokes, Sango throwing an arm around Miroku's throat and dragging him out by the hold, leaving a stunned Kohaku and a grinning Rin.

Rin wraps herself around Kohaku's left arm, smiling her megawatt smile up at him. "Don't worry, okay? We'll take it one step at a time." She stands on her tippy toes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "First step? Attending the festival, it's started!" She squeals, hands grabbing at one of Kohaku's to drag him out the hut and into the cool evening.

Kohaku allows himself to be dragged out, smiling at the back of Rin's form. He would have never expected to settle down with anyone, especially not someone as carefree, strong-willed, beautiful, smart, and kind as Rin. He thinks he's been blessed by the gods above for having such a strong woman by his side, for having a second chance at life- just as she had, for having the group of friends he has now, for having a sister and a brother-in-law that would- just like his friends- go to the ends of the world for him- yes, he's very lucky. Very luck and very happy.

 

===== Elder Sai ======

 The two daiyōkai fly slowly through the sky, both seated crisscross above a pooling of their yōki, in silence. The sun has begun to set, leaving a painting of vivid orange and purple hues- a lighter and softer pink dividing the two. The wind whips through the white hair of the demoness and the silver hair of the demon, causing a light whipping effect. The two seem peaceful, ethereal- godlike, as if nothing could touch them- as if there was no care in the world for the two great demons. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"Tell me, young pup, have you heard of the tragedy befalling the great demons?" Elder Sai asks. "Are you aware that this goes beyond your lands?"

Sesshomaru doesn't answer immediately, knowing that her questions demand his knowledge of what he _does_ know about the trouble experienced by other great demons. Elder Sai is aware that Sesshomaru knows that he and his lands are not the only ones dealing with the... Unnatural, she expects for him to tell her of just how far he believes the trouble to have spread. "To my knowledge, Elder, there is not a great demon whose lands have not been affected by the Unnatural." He answers, choosing his words carefully. "I suspect that my knowledge is lacking."

Elder Sai snorts, rolling her eyes. "You are like a newborn, pup." She sighs, turning her gaze towards the sunset. "You believe that there are only disturbances, annoyances? Is that what you have gathered for these past couple of new moons?"

"You imply that this is far greater than I have stated, yet you say nothing more." Sesshomaru says, eyes narrowed, feeling insulted by her accusation that his knowledge is greatly lacking.

He's aware that there are things, many things, that he does not know about the occurrences on the lands of the other daiyōkai but to be expected to know the ins and outs of the troubles of foreign lands is foolish. What demon cares for the troubles of others if he is unaffected? All Sesshomaru knows, and cares to know, is that other daiyōkai haven't displayed the ability to defend their lands according to their station and thus have allowed a few to wander upon his lands. In Sesshomaru's eyes, those demon are to be unworthy of their power if they cannot eradicate all threat upon their lands.

Elder Sai doesn't answer immediately and this brings curiosity upon Sesshomaru. Elder Sai would have teased him about his 'weakened' senses, how a dog demon was meant to have keen senses, or she would have made a snide comment on how great his father had been at sensing and then turned a lecture into a telling of a memory where-

"Seto is dead." Elder Sai half-sighs and half-whispers. "He's dead, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru's eyes widen, slightly, but the action is more than enough to demonstrate the shock of the otherwise stoic demon. His mind creates battlefield after battlefield of a way, some manner even if the slightest, where he could see Seto falling to an enemy without word spreading to other daiyōkai- without other daiyōkai having been called to battle to assist- but Sesshomaru can't think of a single scenario where Seto could have been brought down. For a dragon daiyōkai to have fallen- surely it must have been done through some sort of underhanded trickery... but Seto was a great demon, at best he would have sustained a deep wound that would have undoubtedly healed in less than one day.

"He died in a joint battle. We, my clan and his clan and sister and brother clans along with several yokai, rose together to fight what you called the 'Unnatural', more specifically we fought the summoning of the Unnatural." Elder Sai looks forward, eyes hard as she recalls the battle. "We stood at twenty-five thousand, each and every single one of us strong and intending to defend Seto's land until the very last breath." Her clawed hands balled into fists, canine's baring at nothing. "The beginning of the battle had gone in our favor, our casualties were low- if any- and the enemy were falling like leaves in the autumn."

Sesshomaru feels the turn of the battle, as if he were there himself.

"But then, the enemy, these low-life yokai, demons that I could have sneezed dead, were beginning to overpower us. Our casualties begin to grow and with no end in sight, we begin to switch from offense to defense but... but we could not build our defenses. Our formations were broken before we could even attempt to shift to them- our healers were wiped out in mere moments- all of them." Elder Sai shakes her head, claws digging into the palms of her hands as her canines begin to recede back to their appropriate length. "Seto called for us to retreat and we all heeded his call, obeyed his command like the god he is-" Elder Sai bites back. "No, like the god he _was_."

"I can still hear the screams of my sisters and brothers, the cries of the demons of Seto's clan, and the those that had volunteered for our cause." Elder Sai hands her head. "I could not save them. Not one." Her voice is soft as the faces of the fallen flash before her eyes, each one apologizing for not having fought harder, faster, stronger... as if they hadn't fought like animals, as if they hadn't given their all. She lost count of how many hands she held, how many she reassured and commended for their efforts, bravery, and skills... she lost count of how many died with a smile on their face or tears rolling down their cheeks.

Sesshomaru understands the guilt of a commander unable to defend their subordinates. For humans it stems from emotional guilt but for demon it stems from pride and the blow to their pride for being incapable of defending those swearing their lives for their commander and the commander's cause. Knowing Elder Sai, Sesshomaru believes it to be both- only adding to the difficult for her to tell the events of the battle. He's sure that she's purposely leaving out the less appealing aspects of war for her own sake- reliving the moments where one's comrades and subordinates are cannibalized or devoured for pleasure is not an easy task.  

"We retreated, slashing, tearing, melting, and incinerating anything and anyone in our path." Elder Sai continues after a pause. "But... a barrier prevented us from escaping. Imagine, a barrier capable of trapping the likes of me in." She laughs, dry... humorless. Bitterly. "It was a barrier of unimaginable power, an aura emitting from it like no other I have seen. To make it all the stranger, it wasn't pure but it wasn't demonic." She says, disbelief in her voice as if she still couldn't come to terms with what it was. "We tried increasing our yōki, we tried decreasing our yōki- hell, we attempted to synchronize with the damned barrier but it didn't have anything we could even attempt to synchronize with."

Sesshomaru's concern grows, even if he does not display them. A barrier without a sort of reading was unheard of, to his knowledge and apparently to Elder Sei and, if his guess is accurate, to Elder Seto. With each telling of events from Elder Sai, Sesshomaru finds himself growing more uncomfortable with his lack of knowledge of such an event. "This barrier you speak of, it was formidable to extent of concealing such a battle."

Although not a question, Elder Sai nods. "The Unnatural set a trap for us and we all merely walked upon it, kneeling and bowing- exposing our nape for a clean and swift cut." Elder Sai glances at Sesshomaru. "I'm sure you're wondering how I managed to escape, no?"

"Seto understood what none of us could have even fathomed." Elder Sai sighed. "He... he knew someone great would have to sacrifice themselves to attempt a small opening for the remainder to escape." She closes her eyes. "Seto transformed, his form great and majestic- we were all speechless as he took to the sky. He commanded us to follow his lead and so we all did. All of us that could transform did and we, too, took to the sky. I do not remember much from the airborne battle besides the stench of blood seeping into my fur, the growls of false victory and the whimpers and whines of true defeat- so many fell." She shakes her head gentle. "Maybe one hundred remained as the second night came-"

Sesshomaru doesn't interrupt Elder Sai but his mind halts at the admission that such an event transpired within two days and nights. He expected for the fight to have at least lasted the time period of a full moon to another but-?

"Yes, only two days and two nights." Elder Sai confirms, noticing Sesshomaru's distraction. "Seto," She continues. "He must have created the plan upon transformation, at dawn of that day, and if he had told me ahead of time what he planned to do, I would have surely died alongside him. The old geezer must have known that." She laughs, biting into her lower lip as tears begin to burn. "As our numbers crumbled to a little over fifty, Seto told me that I had to survive no matter what. I didn't understand, not even when ordered me to transform back into my humanoid form, or when he asked me to trust him. I didn't like his tone, I suspected he was up to no good but...." She straightens, glaring into the distance. "He ordered the remaining demons, all great demons, defend him- of course they did it without hesitation. They must have known too... and maybe I did too but I rejected the knowledge, burying it deep into my subconscious."

"Great Elder Seto took me into his mouth and flew himself into the barrier. I could hear and smell the burning of his flesh, feel his muscles tense, and was bathed in the blood in his mouth. I screamed for Seto to stop immediately but his stubborn nature was only surpassed by his age." She smiles fondly. "He pushed and expanded his yoki, every last drop, until he managed to break his mouth through the barrier. He ejected me, sending me off with a canine-" She places a hand on the hilt of a sword on her right hip. "And that was the fall of Great Elder Seto."

"I was gravely ill, my body using every ounce of yoki to keep me alive. To this day, I'm not sure of how long my recovery period was." Elder Sai looks down at the sword's sheath. "His canine kept me invisible, undetectable, throughout my healing. Once I was healed enough to walk, I visited Tōtōsai and had him forge me this sword using Great Elder Seto's canine. It is not meant for me, that much I know, but for who- I'm not sure. A barrier has been placed upon it to conceal its true owner, hence why you could not detect anything special from it."

Sesshomaru descends, following Elder Sai. They touch ground slowly, their yoki disappearing as both feet land safely. "You came onto my lands to warn me to not underestimate the Unnatural."

Elder Sai chuckles. "No, young pup, I came for a lot more than that. I have been promoted as Lady of the Northern Lands, acting as a temporary replacement of Great Elder Seto. I was his second-in-command, and with Great Elder Seto passing, I rose to power. As Lady of the Northern Lands, I am capable of enacting a temporary emergency alliance among the lords and ladies of the lands. Sesshomaru, I have come today, not only as a warning for your safety but to offer my hand to you to form an alliance. You are the first lord I have asked and while I have not come with the proper documentation for our alliance, I ask that you think of my proposal while the documentations are being prepared and brought to you."

Sesshomaru cannot say he's surprised. It isn't, and won't be the last, time in demon history that there has been a joining of lords and ladies to overcome a dire situation, but it most definitely is the first time that it has been proposed towards an unknown force. If what Elder Sai states is true, and he has no doubt that they are, creating an alliance would be the sensible thing to do... but he is also not one to agree easily. "If the conditions are to my liking, I will offer my support in this battle."

Elder Sai smiles. "It's more like a war than a battle at this point." She raises her arm out, palm turned up and sleeve sliding to her wrist, towards the forest beyond her. "Let us walk the rest of the way."

Sesshomaru, much like during their flight, follows. "The power you hold over your clan must be waning if a kit dared to attack me, especially so on my lands." 

The demoness laughs. "Oh, I saw you enjoying yourself- don't act like it was all around terrible."

He doesn't respond.

"Alright, pup, I can see you're not amused." Elder Sai shakes her head. "You're such a serious thing." With her hands slipping into opposite sleeves, she answers next. "Why Haia attacked you, that's what you want to know? Well, Haia isn't the best at being patient... or analyzing... or really heeding the words of anyone. She caught the scent of the Unnatural and went after the strongest demon- the demon being you, of course. I swear, she would have been dead a long time ago if not for me-"

"Today would have been her end if not for you." He agrees.

"I know." Sai chuckles. "But you should be one to be talking about powers. How is it that your dog nose didn't detect me?"

Sesshomaru glances at Elder Sai. "I suspect the sword of Great Elder Seto must have hidden you from my senses. Perhaps due to the touch of the Unnatural upon my lands."

Elder Sai nods lightly. "I suppose so."

They walk upon a clearing, appearing calm and clean- full of life. Elder Sai takes the view in, lungs filling with the fresh air and eyes capturing the beauty as the sunset paints the small pond at the center, koi fish swimming in orange and purple. How different from the clearing she returned to not too long ago where her lord had fallen. A clearing of blood everywhere, scent in the air and deep in the earth, the liquid itself like black ink painting the land anew. She wishes she would not have to witness another senseless massacre again. "We should return to Haia and the little toad, shall we?" She speaks once she is ready to continue her journey.

As Elder Sai thinks about how to approach the other lords and ladies of the lands, Sesshomaru does his best to digest the new information presented to him while simultaneously attempting develop a plan of action to the newfound threat level. He understands that his plans have changed drastically, that there will be many meetings and many trips to be made because of said meetings. He also understands that he will have to leave someone in charge of his for when he makes his trips and it would have to be someone trustworthy, temporary as it maybe. Another problem arising would be the difficulty of bringing daiyokai together, but that problem falls onto Elder Sai.

He almost wishes he would be saddled with the affairs of the demon court instead of what he knows he will have to do; speak to his mother about becoming a temporary lady for his lands. Granted, his mother was very much over the western lands, but she had turned over the responsibility onto Sesshomaru the moment he became worthy of ruling. She has always detested the more minute aspects of ruling, no doubt a trait he picked up from his mother as well. Sesshomaru decides to postpone the visit, not seeing a reason for doing so until he makes his final decision on whether he will or will not join the alliance... which not only depends on his wishes but the wishes of the rest of the lords and ladies of the lands. An alliance of only two isn't worth much to Sesshomaru nor to Elder Sai.

"Haia," Elder Sai speaks, interrupting Sesshomaru from his thoughts. They're back at the battle ground... and by the looks of it, the demoness and Jaken had done a sufficient job at cleaning. "We are leaving. Pay your respects to Lord Sesshomaru."

Haia stands, flicking blood and flesh from underneath her claws before approaching Sesshomaru. She bows at the waist. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru for showing mercy, may your rule be long and rewarding." Haia averts her gaze as she shuffles to Elder Sai's side.

Elder Sai holds back a chuckle of amusement. Elder Sai is aware that Haia knows she will be punished upon returning to their lands and  that Haia is attempting to appear as submissive and delicate in hopes of reduce the intensity of the punishment.

"Jaken, we leave immediately." Sesshomaru states, ignoring Haia and barely sparing Elder Sai a nod farewell.

"Y-Yes milord!" Jaken grabs his staff and waddles after his lord, glaring at Haia.

Haia glares back.

"Don't forget to think on it, pup!" Elder Sai calls out as she watches Sesshomaru take flight, the little toad demon begging for his lord to wait for him as he leads A-Un out and scrambles on top of the demon, barely having the time to do before A-Un takes flight after Sesshomaru.

With a shake of her head, Elder Sai takes flight too and is followed closely by Haia.

"Elder Sai, do you think he will actually assist us?" Haia asks, timidly.

"Well, after your attack, I'm not so sure." Elder Sai jokes.

Haia lowers her head. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't know-"

"I was joking, Haia. Lord Sesshomaru isn't the type of demon to be petty." Elder Sai smiles kindly. "But you cannot be reckless, these are trying times and it is imperative that you heed my words. Had it been another daiyokai, I cannot guarantee that you would have not died. Trespassing a demon's land and attacking the demon is a great offense, punishable by death if the demon is a daiyokai."

Haia nods. "Yes, Elder Sai, I understand."

Elder Sai nods back. "See to it that you do."


	3. Crashing Down

Rin watches, eyes widened with horror as flames engulf the row of huts before her. She can hear, in the distant, the cries of the falling but there is nothing she can do. Paralyzed by fear, Rin can only stand and allow those around her to fall. Her eyes cannot tear their gaze away, her body immobile despite the screams of her voice of instinct screaming in pleas for her to escape- to run and hide. She feels the sweat run down her face as the flames before her grow hotter, licking their way closer to her but it isn't the flames that she fears, no, her state of fear comes from the beast tearing away at Elder Gao before her. He's dead, long dead, Rin knows this... and she will grieve for him later, but it is not shock of seeing one whom had become like a father figure to her be torn asunder and devoured from the inside out. No, Rin has seen much death and much gore in her life.

The beast raises it's head with a snarl, the intestines of Elder Gao hanging from it's mouth. The beast lowers its head, ears flattening back as it approaches Rin. Rin takes a step back, leg practically a twig in strength, shaking as the muscular beast growls deep. Rin doesn't know when she began to shed tears, when her body began to shake, but upon falling flat on her back- tripping over a corpse- she is aware of the state of her body.

Rin isn't a coward, she isn't weak, and she isn't incapable of protecting herself. She had trained alongside Kohaku, not to be a demon slayer, but to know how to defend herself against all threat. She studied long and hard alongside Sango to fight and trained under Elder Kaede to enhance her knowledge of survival in the wilds- as far as edible and medicinal herbs. Rin showed great promise, strength, and endurance. Rin found great comfort in her abilities, so much that she accompanied Kohaku on his journeys.

But now? Now Rin feels fear. The same fear she felt over a decade ago when she had ran as fast as he little feet could have taken her, desperate to find protection under her lord... and just like last time, she wouldn't be able to make it. She would die at the fangs of another wolf demon, this one far larger and intimidating than the wolves that had attacked her when young. Rin inhales a shaky breath, eyes burning as her tears continue to flow. When she opens her eyes, her hands grab fistful of wet earth beneath her in fear. Staring back at her are the darkest eyes she had ever seen, those eyes, intense with a passion for flesh and blood. She can see herself in those eyes, scared and small and vulnerable. She hates the way she sees herself. She hates the way that the wolf demon seems to snarl in enjoyment of her fear, how she seems to give into him.

The wolf demon snaps at her, intestines of Elder Gao falling onto Rin's face as it opens it mouth. For a moment, the briefest of moments, Rin resigns herself to her fate but she remembers the people in her life. She remembers her sister-in-law and her husband and their children, she remembers her fiance Kohaku, she remembers Inuyasha and Shippo and Kirara, she remembers Elder Kaede, she remembers Lord Sesshomaru and Jaken and A-Un, and she remembers Lady Kagome-

No, not only for them. Rin thinks of herself too. She thinks of the little girl of the past, small and frail and unable to protect herself from the onslaught of attack from the pack of wolves. Rin wants to protect the old her, even if it's only a memory, Rin wants to be the woman that little Rin needed then.

So she fights back.

Rin pulls her arms in front of herself, forearms creating a barrier between her face and the jaws of the wolf demon. She grits her teeth as a mere blink of the eye later the demon's teeth break through the skin of her forearms. She brings her feet together and plants them under the belly of the four-legged wolf demon and, with all the strength she can muster, kicks the demon up over her. Surprised, the wolf demon releases its hold on her forearms before crashing over head of Rin. Doing her best to ignore the flow of blood down her forearms and to her elbows, Rin rolls onto her stomach and pushes herself up onto all fours before making a run towards the center of the village.

The wolf demon isn't far behind her, Rin can hear the earth giving way to the mass and claws of the wolf demon. She can hear its growls vibrating throughout her chest as if he were on her again. Unlike when she was a child, this doesn't instill fear in her but instead fills her with determination. Rin picks up speed, evading, twisting, and turning and she avoids the large canine demon. What she realizes, however, is that her evading the wolf demon means running further from the center of the village. She realizes it too late but decides that there's no point in dwelling in that now.

She will have to fight the demon on her own.

 

===== Center of the Village of Inuyasha =====

 

" _Hiraikotsu_!"

Inuyasha leaps back as the boomerang weapon comes hurling around a mass row of demons Inuyasha had been facing. Frowning, Inuyasha sheaths his sword again. "Thanks!" He yells over to Sango as he readies his claws.

Sango nods as she extends her right arm above, timing it properly to catch Hiraikotsu on its return. "Inuyasha, can you sense Miroku and Kohaku? What about Rin and Kaede?" Sango brings Hiraikotsu in front of her to defend against the jaws of a bird demon, Inuyasha immediately dispatching the bird demon easily with a slice of his claws. He stands back-to-back with Sango.

"Miroku and Kohaku are fighting near the exit of the village, the old hag is with the children, and that brat-" Inuyasha frowns, claws flexing and ears drawing back as he growls at the new wave of demons approaching. "She's hurt."

Sango steps forward, away from Inuyasha, enough to place Hiraikotsu on her back in favor of her sword on her hip. "Kirara, go help Rin." She tells her companion, smiling softly when her companion hesitates. "Don't worry, Kirara, I have Inuyasha here to protect me."

Kirara looks over at Inuyasha, a mutual understanding between the two as they lock eyes. Kirara mews before transforming, giving Inuyasha one last look before taking off into the direction of the injured human.

Inuyasha turns back to the battle at hand, frowning. ' _This ain't a normal battle... it ain't natural._ ' Inuyasha thinks bitterly.

"Inuyasha!" Sango shouts, barely managing the time to unhook Hiraikotsu to defend the two of them against an onslaught of projectile from another bird demon. "Don't get distracted!"

Inuyasha cuts down three low yokai to their left before leaping back into their defensive formation. "I ain't getting distracted." Inuyasha snaps, eyes doing a quick scan of the battle. "I was just thinking."

Sango smiles. "Thinking, huh?"

"Shut ya trap!" Inuyasha barks, doing his best to ignore the way that Sango laughs at him. "Look, none of this is natural, alright? Somethings off 'bout these demons. There yoki keep fading in and out." Inuyasha sniffs in distaste. "The more we cut down, the more keeping coming and don't think I ain't notice how we all got separated."

The demon slayer nods, frowning as Inuyasha confirms her suspicion. "Hopefully, Shippo got out in time to get help." She says, expression grim.

Inuyasha flexes his claws again as Sango switches to her blade once more. "Yeah." Inuyasha mutters in agreement before charging forward.

 

=====Modern Era===== 

 

Kagome stretches her arms above her head as she finishes her last re-count of everything in her bag. She had nearly forgotten all about Rin's birthday and ended up having to do a last minute run for birthday presents. She knows Rin didn't want anything but Kagome couldn't not buy the little girl something... or a couple of somethings. She bought everything from entertainment to cosmetics and books to toys. Rin may be an adult but the young girl was still a young girl at heart. Kagome thinks it's a wonderful thing for Rin to still show signs of being a child at heart, a pity in Kagome's opinion when adults lose that. Kagome thinks it's another reason she gets along so well with Rin. Along with Shippo, they're the cheerful trio.

She loads the suitcases onto the pulley system she had created not too long ago. The only thing she regrets about the hard work and trial and error that went with creating a pulley for the well was that it had taken her too many damn years to think of it. There also had been a lot of driving between her apartment, the shops, and to her grandfather's home but she decided to deal with stress of trafficking and carrying all the needed material up and down those eternal stairs by treating herself to a couple of iced coffees. Sure, she didn't sleep that night but it wasn't like she didn't have a pulley system to build.

After loading each suitcase onto the wooded platform and lowering them into the well, and after bidding her mother, grandfather, and little brother goodbye, she starts her decent into the well- using the rope ladder she had also designed herself. She'll do a little bragging to her friends on the other side of the well, rubbing it into Inuyasha's face specifically.

 

===== Feudal Era =====

 

Kagome grabs onto the suitcases as she travels through the familiar flow of time, getting cocky and doing a few whirls with glee. "And touchdown!" She announces as her feet touch ground. "Inuyasha! Come down here and help me with the suitcases."

Nothing.

Kagome crosses her arms over her chest, frowning. "Alright, look, I get it. I'm late but can we do this old song and dance some other time? It's getting dark and today is Rin's birthday. I even bought you every single flavor of chips." Kagome sings the last sentence, hands clasped together with a bright smile.

Still nothing.

Sighing, Kagome decides to climb up the Bone Eater's Well, grumbling all the while. "You know what, Inuyasha, you're being a real-" Kagome stops, realizing that Inuyasha isn't around despite the large presence of his yoki in the area. "Okay." She mumbles. "Well, maybe he got tired of waiting and went to join the others?" Kagome huffs. "Rude and impatient."

Kagome isn't really angry with Inuyasha not being there but rather that she would have to walk to village and then back to help Inuyasha with the suitcases. "Well, I can always borrow Kirara and make less trips that way." She smiles, deciding to leave the suitcases and fetch both Inuyasha and Kirara to cut back the trips by two, at least.

The young woman doesn't make three steps before freezing. She feels the air grow heavy, dark, and... _twisted_. 

"What-?" She breathes at the sudden onslaught of yoki. "It's... towards the village." Kagome feels her heart sink as she looks up and towards the village, noticing the smoke coming from the direction of the village. Too much smoke to be from a celebratory event. She focuses on the aura and the yoki of her friends, slowly detecting them one by one- including the dead. She runs back to the well to retrieve the bow, quiver, and arrows she had meant to be a present for Rin.

She's swift in donning the quiver upon her back, one arrow notched and ready to be released as she runs in the direction of the village. She projects her spiritual power outward, her powers creating a visible aura around her as excess spiritual powers form thin tendrils expanding from the visible aura. Kagome bites her lower lip, eyes scanning the area, hoping her plan.

It's a long shot, Kagome thinks, but if she's able to draw out at least some of the demons, then she can hopefully save some of the villagers and give enough time for her friends to turn the tide in their favor. "Gotcha." Kagome whispers, eyes narrowed as a flock of demon birds burst through the trees in front of her. She's swift in raising her bow and arrow, aiming it before her and releasing in mere seconds. The flock is easily destroyed but Kagome doesn't take the time to celebrate, readying another arrow instead and aiming to her left.

She ducks as one of the bird demons, faster than the previous ones, comes at her with talons at the ready. It misses but she doesn't.

Kagome sprints to retrieve the arrow and then the first arrow fired before continuing towards the village, adding small blasts of her spiritual powers outward to lure demons towards her. She continues her routine of notching, aiming, releasing, retrieving when she can, and creating bursts of spiritual powers as a fluid process that seems to work. Kagome decides to continue her plan until reaching with-

"Kagome!" A voice above her shouts.

The priestess halts, head tilting back as she smiles at the owner of the familiar voice. "Shippo!" She removes the notched arrow from her bow and switches to a one-handed hold of both arrow and bow as she dissipates her spiritual aura.

With a _pop_ Shippo reverts from his pink balloon-like transformation to his normal form, falling into Kagome's open arms. "K-Kagome, I was so scared-" Shippo cries into Kagome's chest. "There's fire and Sango told me to go get help but there's a barrier at the back of the village so I couldn't a-a-and-"

Kagome softly shushes Shippo, gently petting him. "You did a great job, Shippo. Now, I need you to be really really brave, okay? Can you do that?" Kagome asks, keeping her senses on high alert.

Shippo nods lightly. "Y-yes!"

"Okay, I'm going into the village to help and I can't leave you alone so I'm going to bring you with me, is that okay?" Kagome asks and Shippo nods fiercely. Kagome starts running with Shippo on her shoulder, bow and arrow at the ready once more. "Good, now, when I tell you move away, you need to move as far as you can. This isn't a small fight, Shippo, so I can't hold back."

"I-I understand!" Shippo tightens his hold onto Kagome's sweater when the priestess ducks abruptly, turning to fire an arrow. "I-I can get your arrows for you when I can too."

Kagome smiles. "Okay, but only when I tell you."

Shippo nods, smiling back but only momentarily as he catches the scent of Rin. "Kagome! Turn right, w-ah!"

Kagome makes a sharp turn, not asking for a reason before turning and running to the right- trusting Shippo completely. "What's going on, Shippo?"

The small fox demon groans as he readjusts himself onto Kagome shoulder. "R-Rin is hurt, I can smell her blood!"

The priestess frowns at the news. "How bad is it? How far are we?"

"There's... there's blood but... I can't tell- there's too much blood from everybody else but I can smell Kirara with her and Rin isn't dying." Shippo announces his reading with excitement. Kagome can't help but feel happy along with Shippo. He has come a long way from his training, and for him to be able to tell that much from his training in such a situation is very commendable. "We're here!" Shippo says, jumping down and assuming a fighting stance.

Kagome thinks he looks as threatening as a cupcake.

The priestess asses the situation before her. Rin is holding her own, looking like the fierce fighter that she is with a spear in hand, against a low-classed bird demon while Kirara brawls with a bear yokai. Kagome doesn't hesitate to release the readied notch arrow at the bird demon, it dying on contact with a short hiss. The bear yokai is next to fall as it attempts to charge Kagome, never getting the chance. "Rin!" Kagome shouts as she runs up to the young woman, immediately removing her backpack and looking into her medical supplies as she kneels next to Rin.

"Lady Kagome!" Rin smiles brightly, brighter when she sees Shippo as well. "Shippo, you're okay!"

Kirara mews as she reverts to her small form.

"I'm happy to see you too, Kirara." Kagome says before turning her attention back to Rin. "Rin, what happened? How did you get these wounds?" Kagome asks as she examines the torn flesh, not doubting the fact that it would leave scars.

"It... it was a wolf demon, I froze up... I-I'm so sor-" Rin bites back tears as she remembers the wolf demon, over her and ready to tear into her.

"Don't be sorry, Rin. You were brave and strong and defended yourself well. You even killed a couple demons." Kagome smirks. "You might soon be a better fighter than me."

Rin laughs, blushing as she relishes in the compliment. "R-really?"

Kagome nods. "You might not have spiritual powers on your side but you don't need them. You know how to survive with nothing but your bare hands and feet. How many humans can do that? Especially against demons? Now, I'm going to work on your wounds."

The younger woman winces slightly. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

Kagome laughs. Leave it to Rin to be afraid of a little string... then again, the stitches will hurt some. "Yes, it will but not more than these wounds. I have a salve that numbs the skin a bit so it will lessen the pain a bi-"

"K-Kagome!" Shippo shouts, clambering onto Kagome's lap and pointing behind her. "I-It's a wolf demon a-a-and it's huge!"

The priestess immediately stands, leaving Shippo to fall onto Rin's lap. Beside Kagome, Kirara transforms and bares her fangs at the wolf demon. Kagome notices that the wolf demon is, indeed, very large. It appears to be more like a small werewolf, a little larger in size than Kirara. "Be careful Kirara, I can't get a reading on its yoki and I'm sure you can't either."

Judging from the way Kirara snarls, Kagome guesses its true. Putting the bizarre fact aside, Kagome readies her arrow- acting as a backup for Kirara.

Kirara charges, fangs seeking purchase in the neck of the wolf demon- but the wolf demon is fast, far faster than either Kagome or Kirara had anticipated. The wolf demon swats Kirara aside, sending the feline crashing through a number of trees. Kagome inhales sharply, Shippo and Rin gasping and shouting the feline demon's name. Nothing. Sensing that the wolf demon intends to finish Kirara, Kagome releases her arrow with enough power to incinerate the demon on the spot. What happens next leaves Kagome stunned.

The arrow's flight is true, leaving a light lilac trail as it seeks its target and upon reaching it, the spiritual aura embedded in it flickers away. Instead of purifying the demon on the spot, the arrow pierces the wolf demon's shoulder. Of course, this angers the demon. Kagome grimaces, thinking that out of all the worst times for her powers to go wonky, this is by far in the top five. She readies another arrow as she prepares for the wolf's charge. "Shippo, take Rin away from here."

"B-Bu-" Shippo protests.

"I'm not going anyw-" Rin joins in protest, simultaneously.

"Listen! I can't protect and attack at the same time." Kagome says. In fact, she shouldn't be fighting alone seeing as how she's an archer. An archer without a source of protection is practically a dead archer. She does have her spiritual powers to fall back on but if her arrow failing wasn't a fluke... then it could be that her spiritual power wouldn't be able to form a strong enough barrier and if that's the case, she won't be able to protect herself, much less Shippo and Rin. "I can sense Inuyasha nearby, go to him and protect Rin. Go, I'll buy some time!"

Shippo wipes at his tears with the back of his sleeve before grabbing Rin by the hand. "Kick his butt, Kagome!" The little fox demon cheers before transforming into his pink balloon, waiting for Rin to climb on.

"I'll see you in a bit." Rin smiles as she fully mounts Shippo, slowly floating away.

Kagome nods. "Hey, ugly!" Kagome shouts when the wolf demon turns its attention up to the sky, eyes falling on Shippo and Rin. "Come and get some, you freak!" The priestess fires, once.

Nothing. Kagome feels her chest tighten as the wolf doesn't even glance her way. "Hey!" Kagome fires a second, a third, and a fourth but her spiritual powers die before impact each time. "No!" Kagome shouts as the wolf demon takes flight towards her friends. She can hear Shippo and Rin panic as the wolf demon takes flight and Kagome panics too as she does her best to concentrate a greater amount of spiritual energy into her sacred arrow, but time isn't on her side. Instead of allowing her spiritual energy to flow into the arrow at a steady rate, she forces her spiritual energy to flow into the sacred arrow as rapidly as she can force it to.

When the arrow hums, announcing to Kagome that is has been filled to the brim, Kagome turns her aim up to the wolf demon in the sky. She sways and her vision blurs slightly, but she bites her lip and forces herself to focus, ignoring the way her knees buckle in protest. "Don't... m-miss...." Kagome breathes, fingers releasing the arrow.

It flies true once more, shining with a blinding almost wholly white light. This time, the spiritual power doesn't die before impact. The wolf demon howls in agony as the sacred arrow begins to break through what appears to be a barrier, but Kagome- head swimming- can't tell if it is a barrier or her mind playing tricks on her. The arrow makes contact with the demon before the white light becomes blinding and Kagome has to turn from it. She hears Shippo and Rin yelp as they crash in a nearby shrub and the sickening thud of what, Kagome assumes, to be the wolf demon.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Shippo shouts as he hurries to Kagome's side, Rin running behind him. "You did it!" He cheers, jumping into Kagome's lap once her legs give out and she falls onto her shins, legs folded beneath her. "Are you okay?"

Kagome nods weakly. "Just a little burned out from using too much spiritual power in a short period, I guess." Kagome lies. She doesn't feel like she used up too much of her spiritual powers, in fact she doesn't believe she had used much. Kagome thinks it could have been from the sudden strain she put on her body but that wouldn't account for her feeling _drained_ instead of tired. "Well, just give me second and I'll patch you right up, Ri-"

Before Shippo can yelp in surprise, before Rin's eyes widen in horror, Kagome knows that the wolf demon behind her isn't dead. How it is that it isn't dead, Kagome doesn't know. She does know, however, that they're in trouble. She attempts to concentrate her spiritual energy into the sacred arrow already being notched but finds the flow fickle, as if it _wouldn't_ or  _couldn't_ listen to her command. ' _Great,_ ' Thinks Kagome with bitterness. ' _Definitely top three of worse times for my powers to get a mind of its own._ '

"Shippo, send a signal to Inuyasha and the others." Kagome sighs, still feeling very much drained. "I know... it might draw more demons here but we have to risk it."

Because there's no other option.

And Shippo seems to understand because he doesn't argue before sending his mushroom signals out throughout the village. He huddles close to Kagome as so, too, does Rin. Kagome takes a steady breath in, exhaling slowly as she raises her head to look at the demon circling them. She concentrates on her spiritual aura again, this time molding it into a barrier.

The demon charges, Shippo screaming in fright and Rin holding onto Kagome tightly as she hides her face into Kagome's hair. Kagome keeps her eyes trained on the wolf demon, pooling her spiritual aura and concentrating until the very last second when her aura roars to life around her in a, hopefully, impenetrable barrier. She grits her teeth, eyes narrowed, and beads of sweat forming as she resists the wolf demon attempting to break through. The outer parts of her barrier flickers, almost giving. "C-Come... on... don't... break!" Kagome gives the barrier another flair of her spiritual aura, breathing life into the barrier and successfully repelling the wolf demon.

"Yes!" Shippo shouts, little paws pumping into the air in cheer while Rin joins, still kneeling beside Kagome.

Kagome manages a small smile before her head begins to swim again, this time stronger than before. She mumbles under her breath before slumping against Rin, the last thing she hears is the sound of her name being shouted.


	4. The Calm Before the Storm

===== Feudal Japan =====

 

When Kagome regains consciousness, she's laying on a futon. Her vision comes blurry, black creeping and receding from her peripheral, and her throat is tight- mouth dry. She decides to not fight against the slow recovery of her body. She had learned from previous fights that trying to force the rate of recovery normally ended up in accidental injuries and an even longer recovery rate. When her vision clears, when her throbbing aches fade to dull aches, she slowly turns to her side and gently pushes herself up to a seated position. She decides to take a slow and steady breath, letting her body become accustomed to the change in position before attempting to stand. It's difficult, not surprising her in the slightest, but she manages after what seems to her as an eternity.

Clutching an aching head with a shaking left hand, she makes her way out the hut- breath knocked out of her as her senses are assaulted by the sight before her. The flames, the screams, the blood, the sound of bone crunching and flesh ripping-

Kagome stumbles back but never hits the ground. She falls and falls, soundless and voiceless, through darkness. Her tears float with a twinkle of a shine, briefly giving light to the other nothingness of the never-ending abyss. But it does stop. Kagome lands on something with the consistency of what she thinks to be akin to gelatin. She bounces lightly against the object before her body begins to seep into it. Whispers trickle over her flesh before the whispers become shouts and screams for her. Kagome keeps her eyes closed, fighting against the overwhelming pull of the voices- until she feels the slithering and winding of  _something_ over and about her limbs. Her body goes rigid, eyes opening in fright. The _something_ turns out to be shadows in the form of arms and hands. As far as frightening goes, Kagome decides that's on the bottom of her list, if even on it. The space about her, however, is a different story. The space about her is lit with a red hue, the air heavy in taste with iron- through panicked glances she can see the walls, once white, painted red with splatters of what she believes to be flesh and organs. Kagome feels her chest tighten and her breathing grow shallow as the familiar sensation of an anxiety attack begins to creep upon her.

The room goes dark, the shouts and screams returning to whispers. When light is presented again, it comes from the glow of two eyes. Demon eyes. Their size takes a substantial space from the room, the way they bore into Kagome unnerving. They glow yellow, ominously, slits focused solely on her form.

"W-what do you want?" She asks, voice barely above the whispers around her.

A horizontal tear in the space a feet hundred feet down from the eyes appears. It's not until she sees white that Kagome understands that the tear is, in fact, not a tear at all but rather the, what she believes to be, demon's mouth- the white being canines.

Instead of replying, the beast roars. Kagome coils into herself as best as she can while still being held by the shadowy substance. She attempts to wait it out but it continues to grow, seeming to seep into her bones. Deciding that maybe waiting isn't the best option, Kagome focuses her spiritual aura to rise- gritting her teeth when it recoils against her demands. What is it with her spiritual powers deciding that it wants to go through a rebellious teenage phase?

 _'No, mom, I'm not going to listen to you and protect you, thus protecting me too. I'm just going to 'not'.'_ Kagome thinks bitterly, imaging that that's what her spiritual powers would sound like.

Kagome snorts, deciding that two can play at the game of stubborness and hell be damned if she wasn't going to win... against herself? Kagome clucks her tongue in irritation and tries again, eyes narrowed in concentration until-

"Kagome!"

Kagome blinks, briefly taken by the voice of the demon- thinking it to sound quite familiar. She dismisses it as mind tricks and doubles her efforts only to have her name shouted again, this time in what sounds like a surprised, and angry, yelp. Kagome stops and when she does, blinking, she finds herself back at the hut she started at. It takes her a few moments to realize that what she had been experiencing hadn't been a near death experience but a nightmare. It had been a while since she had the one about the demon with only eyes and a mouth.

"Goddammit!"

The priestess turns her head to the side in the direction of the voice, frowning when she sees Inuyasha glaring at her from a distance- his back pressed against the walls of the hut.

"What're you doing over there, Inuyasha?" Kagome asks with irritation, irritation no doubt leftover from her nightmare.

"What I'm-?" Inuyasha barks a laugh before pointing a clawed finger at her. "You think I wanna get purified into a pile of ash?!"

Kagome rolls her eyes. "What're you talking about?"

"Just look at yourself!" Inuyasha shouts.

Kagome sits up, ignoring the way Inuyasha presses himself further against the walls of the hut. She's sure he'll crash through any second if he applies anymore force against the walls. "Jesus, I swea-" Kagome blinks, finally realizing that she had subconsciously summoned her spiritual aura out. Out, in a stupendous amount. She smiles apologetically, focusing on the flow of spiritual aura, and redirects it into herself. "Sorry, I... I had a nightmare."

Inuyasha sniffs, head turning away and arms crossing over his chest. "Your nightmare almost purified me to hell and back, what's got you so jumpy? It ain't like the village was wiped out-"

"The attack!" Kagome suddenly gasps, standing onto her feet far too quickly for her body. She sways as her vision flickers to black but Inuyasha keeps her from falling, gripping her left bicep.

"Easy there." Inuyasha cautions, voice going soft- that special way it rarely ever does. "They're okay."

Kagome lets Inuyasha help her sit down before he, too, sits beside her, a frown on both of their faces. "You mean... our friends?" Inuyasha nods. "Are they... are they injured?"

Inuyasha recounts the battle from his point-of-view, explaining how they had been separated and how he and Sango held their own at the center of the village with the help of fellow villagers. He shares the death count, the injured, and brief details of the battle from the perspective of their other friends. Kagome listens intently, asking little questions, and keeping her expression schooled as she bares the information and tries to process it all.

"Miroku, Kohaku, and Rin protected me while I was down?" Kagome asks, hating the fact that she was a burden to her friends but thankful to have been saved without it resulting in grave injury to them. "Wait, Kirara-"

"She's healing right now. Looks worse than it actually is." Inuyasha shrugs. "The old hag is treating Rin, said she'll work on the brat 'til you cou-"

Kagome crawls to her backpack, ignoring Inuyasha's nagging for her to rest. "Look, the village needs my help right now and Rin has been without medical aid for too long-"

"You weren't out that long!" Inuyasha says.

"- and, besides, I wasn't hurt. I just used too much spiritual aura trying to draw out the demons."

"That was stupid of you."

Kagome stands, backpack slung over her shoulder. " _Excuse you_? Me exhausting myself wasn't stupid. It was smart. I drew out _flocks_ of bird demons away from the village, who knows how many I distracted with the sudden spike of spiritual power, and I saved Rin from being mauled to death by some freakishly large wolf demon."

Inuyasha stares at her. "Still stupid."

Kagome doesn't bother to dignify him with a response, turning to help the wounded when Inuyasha steps in front of her, arms outstretched to prevent her from leaving. "Inuyasha, move."

"No. The old hag and that lecherous monk said you gotta rest." Inuyasha doesn't move.

"Inuyasha." Kagome warns, holding three fingers up. "You have until the count of zero to move. 3."

"Kagome, it's for ya own good."

" _2._ "

"Kagome-"

" _1._ " The young woman narrows her eyes at Inuyasha, other hand going to her hip.

"You won't really-" Inuyasha swallows hard, eyes fixated on her lips.

" _Sit boy!_ "Kagome steps around the small crater created by Inuyasha slamming into the ground, ignoring his grumbling- it's not like she understood him one way or another.

When she exits the hut, she's surprised to the see the village in better condition than she expected it to be. She guesses the smoke made her imagination run wild. It's always better to hope for the best but prepared for the worst. Kagome learned that long ago. Thankfully, this time luck favored them. Quite a few of the huts had been burned to the ground but the many of them were only needing in small repairs. The villagers were hustling about, proper delegation having been executed properly by the looks of it. She watches, with pride, as a handful of villager direct people into groups- separating them by the gravity of injury. She would often provide the villagers with directions and plans regarding efficiency for different disasters; who would've thought they would have been able to learn and carry it through so effortlessly? 

"Lady Kagome, you should be resting!" A male villager states, voice laden with worry.

Kagome gives the villager a small smile. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm as good as new."

The male villager is joined by a young child, no more than six. Kagome remembers helping deliver her... and she also remembers the mother passing. "Lying is bad." The child says.

Kagome bends over, ruffling the girl's hair with a laugh. "Yes it is, but I'm not lying. I was a little tired from all the fighting but I'm ready to help."

The child doesn't seem to agree with Kagome wanting to help.

"Okay, how about we make a compromise?" Kagome kneels down, mud dirtying her jeans. "I won't do anything too difficult and in return, you can help me with some of the patients."

The little girl's eyes widen. "I can help?" She turns to her dad, eyes pleading. "I'll be really really good, dad. I'll watch over Lady Kagome to make sure she doesn't get tired again."

The dad sighs, clearly outnumbered. "Okay, but if you see Lady Kagome getting tired, you stop her, okay?"

The little girl nods fiercely, hands balled up in determination.

Kagome laughs softly, taking one of the little girl's hand in hers and walking through the village.

The men move about rapidly, focusing on the heavy work: deposing of the demon corpses, burying their fellows, and ensuring that no demon still lurks about. The women tend to the wounded, children, and taking count of the damages done to their water and food supplies. Both women and men delegate while the elders distribute food and herbs; the children helping bring and take supplies. It's a beautiful well-oiled machine.

 "Lady Kagome, this way, Rin-nee-chan is this way!" Chiru, the little girl, says cheerfully as she tugs Kagome in the direction of Rin.

"Yes, yes, I'm going." Kagome smiles as she follows Chiru.

Rin had been placed in one of the areas designated for patients not in immediate danger; level low. Kagome sees the young woman chatting with other villagers, each villager joining in their story about how they faced the demons bravely or selflessly helping people escape to safety. "Rin-chan!" Kagome greets the young woman, immediately greeted in return by Kagome and the villagers around Rin.

Kagome settles next to Rin, focusing on the wound after doing a quick scan of the other villagers. They have minor scrapes and cuts, mostly on their feet, but nothing that time itself cannot heal. "Rin, why are you in the non-immediate low labelled area when you should be at the non-immediate medium labelled area at the minimum?" Kagome says, using what her friends call her 'motherly' tone.

Rin smiles. "Because they're really hurt, I'm not."

"Rin, this wound isn't life threatening right now but I taught you about infections. You know better than this." Kagome lectures, tightening her grip on Rin's wrist when the young woman pulls, wincing as Kagome cleans the wound. "You were saying?"

The younger of the two looks down at her lap. "I just didn't want to be a burden." She whispers.

"Why do you think you're a burden?" Kagome asks, deciding staying on the topic would be killing two birds with one stone; this way Rin will be distracted from the pain and discomfort as well as being able to relieve some stress and worries.

"I... I don't feel like I do enough." Rin sighs, still wincing as Kagome continues the, in Rin's opinion, agonizingly slow cleaning process.

Kagome doesn't get a chance to reassure Rin that she's far from a burden because the villagers join.

There's a jumble of compliments for Rin. They commend Rin for her bravery for fighting off a wolf demon, for concerning herself with others before herself, for checking in on the villagers, for helping delegate- all done in less than a day. They continue, recounting the years since the beginning of Rin's arrival to their village- how her lively optimism gave villagers the energy they needed in the darkest and most trying times for many. The villagers continue to speak with sincerity as they thank Rin for the lessons on survival she had taught them, the many times she had helped against raiders-

By the time the villagers are done, Kagome had finished the worst of the medical treatment- the salve reducing the excruciating pain Rin would have felt down to discomfort and the occasional gasps of pain. Kagome makes a mental note to thank Kaede.

"You all think I'm... okay?" Rin sniffles, wiping at her tears with her good arm.

Kagome smiles. "Okay? You're invaluable, Rin. Chiru thinks so too. You did help me deliver her too, remember?"

Chiru hugs Rin, eyes bright. "You've been like a sister to me, Rin-nee-chan. Every time I think about mom and get sad, you make me happy again."

Kagome pats Chiru's back gently. "And the village will need you to lead the funerals, especially for Elder Gao." Kagome sits beside Rin, on the opposite side of her bad forearm, and pulls her into a side hug. "We all know how much he meant to and you know how much he meant to the village as well. No one else can carry out his funeral as well as you will be able to."

Rin sniffs, pressing herself into Kagome's side. "I can't believe he's gone."

Kagome stays by Rin's side until the young girl is no longer clinging onto her. The priestess comforts Rin along with the villagers and Chiru, until Kagome has to leave to tend to the rest of the villagers. "Chiru, I need you to help Rin, can you stay here with her?" Kagome whispers to Chiru as Kagome exits the area, heading to the opposite direction to tend to those in more immediate need.

Chiru looks between Kagome and Rin. Kagome reads Chiru like an open book. "You won't be breaking your promise, Chiru. You're helping me by watching Rin and the other villagers with Rin. Rin might even teach you a bit about treatments too or even tell you stories about her travels when she was young."

Chiru's eyes widen and Kagome knows she doesn't need to say anything else. The little girl hurries to Rin, climbing onto her lap and begging for stories.

With that, Kagome crosses to the other side and begins to assess the situation when Kaede stops her. "We have everything under control here, child. Ye should rest, nothing too strenuous."

What is it with everyone and trying to stop her from helping? Kagome frowns. "But, I'm ok-"

"Fetch me some herbs, child, if you're feeling well enough to take on the walk. If ye can't, ye should rest." Kaede directs.

Kagome opens her mouth to debate, still, but stops when she's handed a basket and turned away- pushed in the direction. Kagome tries again but she's simply given a quiver, bow, and arrow. "Kaede-"

"Swiftly, child. I am in need of herbs." Kaede gives Kagome a quick list of herbs, Kagome knowing each one and their location, before giving Kagome another push.

This time, Kagome goes... but not without mumbling under her breath about being on herb-picking duty. Sure, she was sent out further than the other villagers and she knows the herbs second best- Kaede being first- but Kagome wanted to directly assist. She knows she's being uselessly stubborn but she hates the feeling of not being useful... or rather as useful as she can be. Shaking her head at her foolishness, she decides to look at it differently. Any help that she can contribute is worthwhile, meaningful. She's saving lives by going herb hunting.

"Kagome."

Kagome halts, turning at the exit of the village to face Miroku. "Miroku, hi."

The monk stops, arching an eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"Kaede sent me on a herb hunt." Kagome blows air at her bangs, earning a laugh from Miroku.

"Why not take Inuyasha with you? It would be swifter, meaning you will be able to directly assist the villagers much sooner." Miroku advices.

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Don't even mention his name."

"Ah, another fight?"

"That idiot wouldn't even let me out the hut." Kagome waves her hand dismissively. "I would just end up sitting him again. Anyway, what's your task?"

"I'm one of the leads in securing the village." Miroku smiles. "Sango and Kohaku have their own teams and I can only presume that Inuyasha will too once he digs himself out of the crater he doubt created."

Miroku and Kagome share a laugh before going their own way. 

 

===== Feudal Japan =====

 

Sesshomaru left Jaken and Ah-Un the second Rin's blood reached him. He had sensed the gathering of yokai in the direction of the village and while he had slight concern, he foolishly believed that the gathering of yokai would have been dispatched before his arrival, if not greatly diminished. He had been wrong and woe be the demon that had dared harmed that under his protection. Sesshomaru doesn't expect the demon to be alive but he most certainly hopes it is so he can introduce the vermin to his claws. Sesshomaru isn't one for unnecessary torture, not having the patience nor taste for torture, but he is more than capable of making exceptions.

The scent of Rin, her blood and tears, on a moving target.

Sesshomaru slows his speed of flight, just enough to make out the figure of the miko of strange garments in the distance. He focuses his sense on the scent of Rin, noticing that the blood shed from Rin had not been life threatening. Sesshomaru notices that the tears cried were not of pain but rather concern, he also detects that those tears are of the same kind from when he had conversed with Rin the previous night. From the scent of the priestess, he asses that the battle of the village was not too disastrous. Beneath the blood, death, tears, and agony, Sesshomaru finds the scent of the miko. He focuses upon it long enough to determine the status of her health and nothing more. Her own scent is not one he needs to remember in detail. He's already familiar with fresh rain scent that is hers and for him, that is enough.

When he approaches her, slowly descending many feet away from the human, she turns to him with a soft smile but beneath the soft smile he can sense her tension. He believes it to be appropriate for her to be tense around him, to be wary of him. The day she treats him as a common demon will be the day he will have to remind her of who he is.

"Miko." Sesshomaru states, in a form of greeting that is all his own.

"Sesshomaru." Kagome balances the basket on her left hip as she slides her bow over her right arm and onto her shoulder. "I sensed you a while ago but I didn't expect you to stop by." 

Silence.

Kagome grimaces, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze. Right, Sesshomaru was never one for conversation and Kagome was practically the opposite. "Rin, was hurt by a wolf demon. He looked more like a werewolf to me." Kagome offers a small smile.

Sesshomaru doesn't return it.

Kagome wonders if she was hallucinating, maybe she was having another nightmare? A nightmare where she had no one to talk to. A nightmare of silence. Kagome would take the nightmare with the Cheshire look-alike instead.

"I am aware." Sesshomaru speaks and Kagome jumps at the break in silence.

' _Okay, what am I suppose to say to that?_ ' Kagome thinks, biting her lower lip. Should she just walk off? Would that be rude? "Well, it was... nice seeing you?" Kagome gives an awkward waggle of her fingers as she side steps away, intending on slipping away.

"Miko." Sesshomaru's voice makes Kagome stop on the spot. "What is it that you are doing?"

"Doing?" Kagome follows his line of sight. Her basket. "Oh, I'm gathering herbs. We have people gathering herbs nearby the village, the basics that we have, but there are others that are further out so I was tasked with getting them. Lady Kaede is too old to make the trip and I have a pretty good knowledge of herbs... so, uh... here I am? Little Red Riding Hood." Kagome smiles.

Sesshomaru doesn't return it... again.

Hell will freeze over before Sesshomaru smiles, let alone return a smile. Kagome stands there, watching Sesshomaru watch her. "Well... I... should be going now?"

"I will assist."

"Why?" Kagome blurts out before she can think over her words. In her defense, her brain short-circuited the moment Sesshomaru offered his help. Now, Kagome knows that Sesshomaru isn't evil incarnate but she knows Sesshomaru isn't the type of demon to go out of his way to help if he's not benefiting in someway or another. Kagome doesn't know what Sesshomaru could possibly want in return and while she isn't afraid of what he could want in turn, she doesn't exactly want to make an agreement with Sesshomaru. No, he's not evil incarnate but the reaper isn't either and she wagers that most people fear the reaper, i.e. Sesshomaru. It's common sense.

Then again, she doesn't necessarily fear Sesshomaru.

"These herbs you seek," Sesshomaru speaks, once again drawing Kagome's attention. "I presume some will be used for Rin."

Kagome nods lightly.

"You have tended to Rin and will continue to tend to her. It is only natural that I offer aid in the care of Rin, thus I will assist in the collection of these herbs that you require." Sesshomaru explains.

"Uh-huh." Kagome blinks, words coming out but mind still processing not only the fact that offered his help but that he had spoken so much. Maybe he had used enough words for the rest of the year. "I mean, I'm thankful but I didn't help Rin for... I mean-" Kagome blinks again, frowning as she tries to comprehend her situation. Maybe it would just be easier to accept his help.

Then again, she doesn't feel like Sesshomaru is asking but rather stating his plan of action.

"Okay, sure. The more the merrier." Kagome smiles, continuing her walk.

Kagome manages to keep her silence for maybe three minutes before she decides to risk angering Sesshomaru by attempting to engage him in conversation. "So, Sesshomaru, were you going to come visit Rin for the festival? She told me she intended on inviting you but I wasn't here yesterday and with everything that happened today, I didn't get the chance to ask her."

"Yes." Sesshomaru states.

"Oh, that's nice." Kagome feels like a grandmother complimenting a grandchild.

Silence again.

"Explain the attack on Rin."

Kagome glances back over her shoulder to Sesshomaru. "Ah, well, I didn't arrive until the middle of the battle-" She notices the way his eyebrow arches ever-so-slightly in question to her late arrival and whereabouts. Oops. "-and when I did, the wolf demon wasn't there." She hopes he's not intrigued enough to ask more about her whereabouts.

He doesn't ask.

"It was a wolf demon." He says, demanding more details.

Kagome nods. "He was different though, big and muscular- bigger than Kirara. My arrows didn't do anything to him." Kagome doesn't go into details. "Well, I didn't think so but Inuyasha told me that Miroku said that I had weakened him greatly. Oh, uh, I didn't defeat him. I kind of... passed out?" She laughs, rubbing at the back of her head with her right hand. "Anyways, Miroku and Kohaku protected us. I didn't do much. Not really."

Spotting one of the needed herbs, Kagome sets her basket down and begins picking.

As Kagome picks, Sesshomaru thinks over the attack from what his senses gathered and the telling from the miko. An abnormal wolf, a strange union of wolf and bird demons attacking a village well guarded, and the inability of the priestess to bring down said wolf demon... Sesshomaru doesn't believe in coincidence. For a strange attack to occur when the lands of daiyokai have been experiencing strange occurrences as well, no not coincidental at all.

"Done." Kagome straightens, beginning her walk again.

"Was there anything else amiss?" Sesshomaru asks.

"Hmn, no not really?" Kagome replies as she thinks over the attack. "Like I said, I passed out so I'm probably not the best person to ask. Though, the attack itself was really weird. We don't really get demon attacks, at least not like this. We're normally attacked by raiders, rogue samurai, and weak demons... but this felt a lot like when Naraku was around. They seemed focused, one mind and one body. From Koga, I learned that bird demons and wolf demons don't typically get along but here they seemed like it was a joint attack. I suppose that's strange." Kagome kneels again upon finding another needed herb.

"Oh, Inuyasha mentioned that they, our group, were intentionally separated." Kagome adds as an afterthought.

"Hn." Sesshomaru doesn't say more. The strategy and results are as different as night and day. In the war against Elder Seto, they were trapped and engaged in combat until one finally emerged victorious. In the battle of the village, the strategy was to divide and conquer- a strategy that failed them. Sesshomaru would have thought it to be due to a difference in power of enemies but Elder Sai stated that her enemies were no more than weak yokai yet the attack on the village brought forth an unknown abnormal wolf demon, able to resist the purification abilities of the priestess.

It doesn't make sense to Sesshomaru and Sesshomaru doesn't like the feeling of not knowing, not comprehending.

"Okay, next-" Kagome never finishes her sentence, instead immediately notching an arrow and turning to her right, eyes narrowing as the bush rustles.

Sesshomaru watches as the priestess lowers her bow and slips her arrow into her quiver as a bunny, doe, and her kits, emerge from the bush. The doe and her little ones retreat after a few seconds, Kagome sighs. "It would have been nice to catch something for the village."

"Why show mercy?" Sesshomaru asks, following the priestess as she continues.

"It wasn't really mercy." Kagome winces, as she thinks herself cold for the way she speaks. "If I killed the doe, then her kits wouldn't be able to live long. If I killed the kits, they wouldn't really offer much... although I suppose I could have hunted them all together but it would have just hurt the environment anyways. As a rule of thumb, hunters should only hunt mature animals to prevent a drop in population." Kagome pauses, thinking about the brief online information she had skimmed through about hunting. She should double-check when she returns home.

"Anyways, there's better and bigger meat out here for the villagers. Besides, the village is in need for medicine, not food. If it came to that then I would do what had to be done but that's not the case, hence the mommy and her little ones get to run free. If something else gets them then that's just mother nature."

Sesshomaru doesn't say anything and Kagome decides to focus on the herbs she has to collect. The faster she finishes her herb-hunting task, the faster she can leave the presence of the demon lord. While she welcomes the protection and while she does trust Sesshomaru, to an extent, she cannot help but to be uncomfortable and tense around the demon lord. He is a demon of very few words, Kagome has learned, and Kagome is a human of many.

Kagome has known Sesshomaru for thirteen years and those thirteen years had been... complex. For the first three years, he had been somewhere between an enemy and an ally of convenience... not to mention the fact that he had the intention of killing her the first time they met. After their less-than-ideal first meeting, they met a couple more times- each time as enemies. There was the time that he had saved her and her friends against Mukotsu's poison but Kagome doubts it had been a selfless act, not to say that she hadn't been thankful. A couple of other times they had worked together. Now that she gives it more thought, Sesshomaru had saved her more than a few times, once with Rin and another during the fight against Naraku.

Sesshomaru didn't become someone Kagome thought of until Rin came to live in The Village of Inuyasha. The first time Sesshomaru came to the village was to speak to the elders of the village, the elders being Gao and Kaede, regarding Rin staying with them. It had, to no one's surprise, turned into a fight between Sesshomaru and Inuyasha- instigated by Inuyasha, of course. It took Kagome sitting Inuyasha to stop the battle and even then it was only thanks to Sango and Miroku convincing Inuyasha to hear Sesshomaru out that any progress was made. Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango had left towards the forest, Kirara following close behind, while Kagome and Shippo gave Rin a tour of the village. It hadn't been until a few more visits that Sesshomaru and the elders had come to an agreement on Rin's stay at the village, the only issue having been Sesshomaru's visits.

Prior to the agreement, each visit enlightened Kagome about Rin's journey with Sesshomaru. To be honest, Kagome believed Rin's perspective of Sesshomaru had been due to Rin seeing Sesshomaru through rose-colored glasses. Sesshomaru had given Rin life, surely- to Kagome- that had played a big role in the way Rin saw Sesshomaru. Rin claimed that Sesshomaru would seek medicinal herbs for her when she fell ill, be aware and care for her human needs (rest and food), and that he educated her on many subjects. Kagome couldn't believe the Sesshomaru Rin described to be the same Sesshomaru Kagome knew but, then again, Rin also couldn't believe the Inuyasha Kagome knew to be the same Inuyasha that Rin knew. That made Kagome remember how important perspective is and soon enough, Kagome began to notice just how much more there was to Sesshomaru that she had previously thought.

Kagome didn't interact with Sesshomaru much in the first visits he made. Sesshomaru would come bearing gifts for Rin, mainly clothing, and would leave just as soon as he had come. Kagome would barely have the time to greet him before he was already leaving. It wasn't until Rin fell ill for the first time that she had really spent time with Sesshomaru. It had been the seventh month since Rin's arrival and many of the villagers had fallen ill so the village had been low on medical supplies. Kagome had ventured out immediately to fetch herbs, Sango and Kirara ventured to a nearby village for help, Miroku and Shippo assisted the healers of the village with the ill, and Inuyasha stayed to defend the village against potential attacks; demons being attracted to sickness and raiders no doubt seeing it as an opportune time to attack.

Sesshomaru had been making one of his visit when he had smelled the sickness on Kagome, specifically the scent of Rin on her person and the sickness on Rin's scent. Or so Sesshomaru had briefly explained to Kagome. He hadn't asked for permission in joining Kagome in her search, much like now, and Kagome had been too concerned for the sick to try even argue, especially when Sesshomaru's help would have made her job easier. It had. What would have taken Kagome a little over an hour had barely taken her thirty minutes, and only then that much because of the poor weather. The return had been swift as well, Sesshomaru having allowed Kagome to sit on his cloud of yoki for the travel to the village. Upon arrival, Sesshomaru headed to Rin immediately- walk calm and elegant but with determination and goal in sight, and Kagome followed in a jog to keep with his walk. Kagome had been swift to boil the herbs into a beverage for Rin, reassuring Sesshomaru, before leaving Rin to tend to the rest of the villagers.

It had been hours, late into the night, before Kagome could return back to Rin's side and, to her surprise, Sesshomaru had still been there. It had been tense, uncomfortable, to be with Sesshomaru in a little hut but to Sesshomaru it had been like Kagome hadn't been there- his eyes only on Rin as he sat beside her, legs crossed and still looking very much the great demon of elegance and strength and power that Kagome has always known him as. Kagome spent the time tending to Rin, saying soothing words, as she waited for the fever to break. The next morning, Kagome awoke to see Sesshomaru still there and- in greater surprise- helping Rin drink her medicine. He looked gentle, fatherly even, with Rin propped up by one of his hands and the other helping her drink.

They hadn't talk about anything other than Rin's condition, the herbs used and required, and when Kagome expected Rin to be healthy once again. Kagome spent the week with Sesshomaru, traveling away for herbs and returning to tend to the sick- Sesshomaru only concerned with Rin. Of course it had been an issue with Inuyasha but their friends had managed to calm Inuyasha down. How, Kagome isn't sure.

That had been the beginning of Kagome interacting with Sesshomaru, the beginning of Kagome seeing Sesshomaru in a new light.

"Miko, that is poisonous."

Kagome freezes, coming to a stop mid-bend. "Wh- oh, oh! You're right!" Kagome chuckles at herself, glancing back and over her shoulder at Sesshomaru as she straightens. "Thank you, that could've been very bad for me."

"Hn." Sesshomaru turns from Kagome, heading in the same direction that had come from.

"Wait, Sesshomaru-"

"You have gathered a sufficient amount of herbs; more would be detrimental to the environment, would it not?"

Kagome blinks. Right, Kagome had learned from the years of knowing Sesshomaru that he had a knack for turning the words of others against them. "No, I didn't collect much." But even as she says otherwise, Kagome follows Sesshomaru.

"It appears you are incapable of counting, miko." Sesshomaru replies.

Kagome snorts. "Twelve of each herb, eight herbs, is ninety-six (96)-"

"You have proven my point."

Kagome stops. "I'm pretty sure I know the amount of herbs that _I_ collected."

"And I know the truth to be otherwise." Sesshomaru doesn't stop walking.

Kagome has to jog to catch up. "Really, now?" Kagome smiles, eyebrow arched. "How about making a bet? If you're so sure of yourself."

"You have nothing of value, girl." Sesshomaru replies coolly.

"What about just the satisfaction of knowing you're right?"

"I know I am right."

"Okay, forget the whole bet thing." Kagome huffs, free hand going up in the air in frustration. "Agree to disagree then."

Sesshomaru doesn't respond, instead he pools his yoki beneath his feet until the formation of cloud of yoki comes to. Kagome steps onto it, gripping Sesshomaru's mokomoko-sama as she had done before for support.

Kagome doesn't have much experience riding along with Sesshomaru and the experience she had was normally in a situation where her mind had been preoccupied with worry- this time, she has the luxury of focusing on the present. The first thing Kagome notices is that they're very very  _very_ high into the sky, a height she had never reached while riding with Inuyasha. Instinctively, she presses herself further into mokomoko-sama but her fear doesn't go beyond clinging onto mokomoko-sama. For some reason, Kagome feels a sense of security despite the height... and despite the fact that she's riding with the killing perfection. Perhaps it's _because_ she's riding  _with_ the killing perfection that she isn't afraid of falling to her death- Sesshomaru wouldn't let her die unless he wanted her dead... right?

Another reason to stay on his good side, and in her defense she believes she's done a really good job on staying on his good side... or at least she hopes so.

Kagome peers over the edge of the yoki cloud, gasping and immediately, and unintentionally, pressing herself against Sesshomaru's side when she notices that they were, in fact, gaining height. A sound of disapproval from Sesshomaru draws her attention to him. "Why are we going higher, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asks, hold on mokomoko-sama turning into a death grip. God, she hopes Sesshomaru can't feel that.

"Distance yourself, miko."

Kagome blinks. "I would love to." She frowns. "But I happen to not be comfortable flying closer to the moon than the earth."

"You fear falling yet do not fear pressing yourself upon my person." Sesshomaru looks down at Kagome.

Kagome doesn't flinch, favoring to stare him down... or stare him up? Semantics.

Sesshomaru decides to teach the miko a lesson, to remind her that he should not be toyed with- that his words should be heeded. So, without warning, the pooling of yoki disappears and they begin an immediate fall.

Kagome screams, pitch reaching a brand new and impressive height, as she plummets. She flaps her arms and kicks about, body spinning and hair whipping about as her lungs and heart work overtime from the sudden change. Kagome doesn't know what she's screaming, or crying, about but she hopes, deep within herself, that she's finally cursing the great daiyokai to hell and back. If she was going to die, she might as well go out telling Sesshomaru exactly what she thinks of him. Staying on his good side be damned!

"... and I swear to god if I could purify you to ashes right now I would!- _oh my god I'm going to die_!" Kagome screeches, eyes closing again after the brief look she stupidly managed at the earth below her. "Oh my god oh my god oh my god _aaaaaaaaaaaa-_!"

"Miko-"

Another screech and Sesshomaru decides that perhaps his lesson could have, probably, not been the best approach. The priestess was... a sight. Her eyes, filled with fright, seemed like they would pop out of their sockets at any moment. Her mouth constantly open, either expelling a scream or screech, or condemning him in some way or another. Her body spinning every which way possible, undoubtedly due to her flailing. She has tears and saliva flying out and up into the sky, also undoubtedly catching her hair. It was... amusing.

Deciding that she had enough, and that his hearing would benefit greatly, Sesshomaru wraps mokomoko-sama around Kagome's waist and pools his yoki below his feet to re-create his cloud of yoki. The sudden halt causes Kagome to jerk up, still wrapped in mokomoko-sama, and causes a stir in her abdomen. She coughs and gasps, her body desperately attempting to regulate itself, as her death grip on mokomoko-sama returns. Kagome doesn't realize that they had been descending until her body crumples onto mud, mokomoko-sama slowly unwrapping itself from Kagome's person.

It takes Kagome a while, much gasping and coughing involved as well, to shift onto all fours. It takes her longer to sit back on her calves and realize that she was safely on the ground, alive, and still very much out of her mind because of what she does next. She grabs the basket with a shaky hand, then the other hand, and swings at Sesshomaru's calves. She connects before collapsing onto all fours again. "You... son-of-a-dick!"

Sesshomaru blinks at the insult, or what he believes to be an insult.

"I could have _died_!" Kagome gasps, eyes wide as she stares at the earth beneath her hands. "You could have _killed_ me!" She snaps her head back to glare up at Sesshomaru, her fiery eyes met with cool ones. That only angers her more. "What is _wrong_ with you? Oh my god!" She stands, legs as strong as jell-o. "I asked you to fly lower because I'm not good with heights, on the account of- you know- being a human and not being able to fly and not wanting to die as a splatter! And what do you do? You nearly give me a heart attack becau-" 

 "You refused to detached yourself from my person." Sesshomaru interjects.

Kagome stares at him, jaw slack. She cannot believe that, for even a second, she believed Rin's words of praise. Sesshomaru? Being kind? _Ha._

" _Because,_ " Kagome tries again, jaw now clenched. "I was afraid and I did ask you to fly lower."

Sesshomaru sniffs slightly. The act further irritates Kagome. God, Sesshomaru knew how to get under her skin.

"Fine. You know what? I'm so _sorry_ that my little grubby hands soiled your person and I am so _sorry_ that my scent has defiled yours, happy now?" Kagome seethes, feeling the anger crashing in waves against her very core.

Sesshomaru is silent, stoic as ever, for moments before giving his reply. "I will take your apology into consideration on whether you should be forgiven for your actions."

Kagome grits her teeth. " _Great._ " She then collects the basket of herbs, flipping the lid for a quick glance at the herbs- not that she was going to go back for another herb gathering, not with the asshole in front of her she wasn't. With a huff, a rough smoothing of her clothes, and a quick tie of her hair into a high ponytail, Kagome begins to march in the direction of the village.

She doesn't get far.

Kagome comes to an abrupt halt when Sesshomaru moves in front of her within the blink of an eye. Great, what was it with dog demons and not letting her be on her way?

"Where do you think you are going, miko?"

Kagome blows up at her bangs. "The village." She has half the mind of shaking the basket in front of Sesshomaru's face and questioning his intelligence but she decides against it. She doesn't think many people have survived assaulting Sesshomaru, even if her assault was with a woven basket filled with herbs, and doesn't want to find out how many times she can get away with it.

"The delivery of the herbs to Rin will take far too long with your mortal speed." Sesshomaru states.

' _Thank you, Captain Obvious_.' Kagome thinks. "Better late than never, and by that I mean I would rather not try traveling with you again. I'm not fond of death." Kagome takes a step to the side and Sesshomaru follows.

"You do not have a choice in the matter, priestess."

Kagome narrows her eyes at Sesshomaru. "Oh, yeah? Well, you're not getting your way unless you force me." Kagome walks around Sesshomaru, getting further this time but not by much.

Kagome yelps as she's pulled back, mokomoko-sama coiled around her from knees to her shoulders. "Sesshomaru!" She yelps again when Sesshomaru takes flight, Kagome forced along. "I d-d-demand to be put down this instant or I swear-"

The priestess is silenced by mokomoko-sama wrapping itself higher, covering her mouth, and Kagome is speechless; speechless because she is physically unable to speak and speechless because she cannot comprehend the fact that Sesshomaru had kidnapped her and then physically silenced her. Well, if he's going to behave out-of-character, then she's going to throw logic and reason out the window and try to purify him the moment she's freed.

 

===== The Village of Inuyasha =====

 

It happens to quick for Inuyasha to understand, for anyone to understand. One moment, the village is busy with repairs and tending to the injured, and the next-?

Inuyasha finally stops, or rather a tree stops him. He had been hurled through a line of tree like he had been nothing more than a flea to a dragon. He crumples onto the ground, the tree that stopped his flight through the air- bending, breaking, and falling onto him. Inuyasha coughs and gasps as he drags himself from underneath the tree. Ignoring the bleeding, ignoring the pain, he drags himself onto his knees and thrusts Tessaiga onto the ground as support to help him onto his feet. His ears flicker as the sounds of panic and screams from the villagers assault his hearing.

"Dammit." Inuyasha curses, swaying briefly.

He had taken heavy damage from something...  _demonic_. It was a poor way to describe but the only way to describe it. A tear in the sky had appeared, Shippo noticing and alerting everyone immediately. The village had reacted swiftly, the villagers having been trained in treating any abnormality as an immediate threat, but it had not been enough. No amount of preparation would have readied them for what occurred next.  The tear, horizontal and opening downward, began to  _ooze_  a black substance. It piled into a clump, undulating, and no form of attacks would dissipate it or halt its movements. It only grew worse from there. Eyes begin to open, forming from nowhere or perhaps deep within the clump of black. Streaks of red and slits of red began to form and tendrils licking their way into existence.

The clumps began to take form of anorexic humanoid-seeming beings, drenched in the black and red-streaked substance. They were lengthy, easily measuring over ten feet, standing on bony clawed hands and feet- back flat. Their limbs and legs were disproportionate long, in comparison to the rest of their body. Three of them formed, jaws slack and eyes jumping from one side to another as if analyzing, or searching. When their eyes stopped moving, all hell broke loose.

Inuyasha barely had the speed to lift his Tessaiga up in defense before one of the demons attacked. Inuyasha remembers the black and red-streaked substance binding around Tessaiga, forming a grip, before he was tossed into the sky and left open for a swift barrage of clawed attacks by the same demon. He had played defense the entire time but even then he hadn't been unable to come out unscathed. When a second joined the attack against him, he was nearly decapitated instantly. Their speed, their numbers, kept him on the defense no matter what he tried. Having been preoccupied with the two on him, he missed the third and that was how he was flung through a line of trees.

Gritting his teeth, he pulls Tessaiga out and makes a run towards the village... only to be stopped by one of the demons.

"Fine, ya wanna die first? Be my guest." Inuyasha grins, raising Tessaiga.

The demon stands on its legs, arms bent at the elbow and held out at its side. It tilts its head back, jaw going slack, and screeches into the sky- a screech that brings Inuyasha down to one knee, gritting his teeth against the pain of the screech. "'s that the best ya got?" Inuyasha snorts and stands after the demon falls silent but remains on its feet, eyes locked on Inuyasha.

It's unnerving, Inuyasha thinks.

"Gonna take more than some shitty singing to make me keel over." Inuyasha points his sword to the demon, smirking at it.

The demon, unnaturally, cocks its head to the side. Inuyasha takes a step closer until he hears the sound of rustling, around him. _All_ around him.

He doesn't need to look around himself to see that the little shit demon called for backup.

"Well, shit."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, finally some Sesshomaru and Kagome interaction. Now, I know some might say that it was very uncharacteristic of Sesshomaru to tolerate Kagome as much as he did but remember that they have a history together now, a history that will be often brought up throughout the story, and that Sesshomaru has become more... 'patient' in the years thanks to Rin and his relationship with Kagome. He's still capable of 'putting' Kagome in her place and, of course, our precious priestess isn't the type to go down without a fight. Remember her threatening Sesshomaru in their first meeting and casually accusing him of trying to kill her? Ah, good times.
> 
> Expect more Sesshomaru and Kagome content in the following chapters.
> 
> Feedback is always welcomed~!


	5. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be studying for my exams but, alas, here I am. Creativity and motivation seem to choose the worst time to kick into gear, no?

===== The Forest of Inuyasha =====

 

Inuyasha's eyes open at the sound of his name. The voice is distant and he can't make out who it is but the voice sounds concerned as it continues to shout his name. His vision is too blurry, nothing more than a swirling and pulsating view with black etching the edges. He tries to communicate, _what_ he isn't entirely sure of, but all his body manages is a weak sigh. His eyes close, ears flickering as he attempts to focus what little strength he has on the voice.

"Inuyasha!"

' _Ka... gome...._ ' Inuyasha thinks her name. It was Kagome calling his name in worry... but why? Why would Kagome call out to him in worry? Was she hurt or was it him? Why was it that he couldn't move? Couldn't speak? Maybe it was him. It had to be him. But why? Inuyasha couldn't remember how he had gotten in his condition and the more he tried to clear his head, the more difficult it was to stay conscious.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, don't move!" Kagome shouts in warning.

It's the last thing Inuyasha is conscious of before his mind finally slips away.

 

===== The Forest of Inuyasha: Kagome =====

 

Kagome drops onto a knee, twisting her torso to aim backwards another arrow at the odd black glob flying through the air. She releases her arrow, instantly purifying the airborne black glob, but she doesn't celebrate her marksmanship- even if she wanted to take a moment to celebrate her aim, the next wave of strange demons force her to focus on the battle at hand.

Sesshomaru had detected the demons much faster than she had, increasing the speed of their flight to nauseating levels. Kagome had thought Sesshomaru had been acting petty or bratty, even though she would see Sesshomaru smile and hear him laugh before he behaved so childishly, but it had been her only explanation due to her inability to detect the unnatural aura of the glob-like demons from such a distance. Sesshomaru had landed near The Forest of Inuyasha, staying long enough for Kagome to land on the ground, before speeding away- towards Rin no doubt. Kagome had sensed the demons a little before the landing and worse of all, sensed Inuyasha in the midst of a heavy cloud of the unnatural aura.

Upon arriving, Kagome found Inuyasha on his stomach- eyes unfocused and bleeding as the glob-like undulating demons sank canines everywhere they could find purchase on Inuyasha's person. Whatever they had been doing had nearly drained Inuyasha of his aura and Kagome hates to think of what would have been if it hadn't been for Sesshomaru's swift travel. She dispatched the gathering on Inuyasha's back, scorching Inuyasha's back in the process.

Hey, at least she didn't purify him.

It was a difficult task for Kagome to make her way to Inuyasha's body, the globular demons keeping her at bay. It was like one step forward and two steps back the entire time until Kagome decided to take a risk and flare a barrier around herself. It hadn't been the best idea, Kagome found out when her body swayed and she dropped onto a knee, but the barrier held- and more importantly, it dealt with a great number of the airborne globular demons. When she saw an opening, she took a second risk by sprinting, vision blurred, to Inuyasha while using her small barrier as protection. She hadn't been able to completely lower the barrier before reaching his side and, again, scorched him, but at least she had made it to his side.

From there, Kagome flared her barrier back to life- her head swimming once more- but managing to stay conscious. It had been target practice for the next, what felt like to Kagome, century. She would pluck an arrow from her quiver, notch, aim, release, and pause to gather her bearings before restarting. Due to her having a limited amount of arrows, Kagome had to be patient and precise in her firing- needing to knock out as many as possible with one arrow as she could- which proved difficult due to the agility of the airborne demons. She was drained at the end of the battle but Inuyasha was alive and so was she, that's a win in her book.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispers, gently shaking his shoulder to see if he would stir. "Inuyasha can you move?"

Nothing.

Kagome lowers herself onto her knees as another wave of exhaustion rolls over her. She's on all fours, bow against the ground and gripped by her left hand. She focuses on her breathing, slow and steady, while she waits the wave out. "Inuyasha, where are... the others?" Kagome asks, trying to get a response from Inuyasha but he remains unconscious. Thankfully, Tessaiga is at his side.

When her vision clears, when strength returns to her, Kagome stands up and surveys the area. She can't bring Inuyasha with her without putting herself and Inuyasha at risk. You can't really lug around a demon while trying to use a bow and an arrow as defense. She could try to take Inuyasha with her while putting up a a small barrier around themselves but Kagome isn't the best at creating and maintaining barriers- and she really doesn't want to risk losing consciousness in the midst of a battle. She didn't survive Naraku to die by some little blob demon and its crew.

The heavens seem to be on her side because just when she thinks she will have to wait out the battle by Inuyasha, playing the exhausting role of defender, Shippo comes running on all four.

"Kagome!" Shippo shouts, excited to see her, before leaping into her arms.

"Shippo, I'm so glad to see you!" She gives Shippo a quick squeeze hug before loosening the suffocating embrace.

Shippo scurries onto her shoulder. "What happened to Inuyasha? He feels weak." Shippo whispers, expression heavy with worry.

"I don't know. Those things were draining his aura, I think." Kagome kneels beside Inuyasha, turning him onto his back with as much caution as she can muster.

He has a deep gash from his left shoulder to his right hip but Kagome can see that his body is already working on the repairs, undoubtedly leaving the cuts to his arms and legs for later. He has more bite marks than anything else but the gash is the only thing she really focuses on. "I didn't think those little demons could do this." Kagome breathes, gently cupping Inuyasha's face with her hands. "Oh, Inuyasha...."

Shippo stiffens, suddenly looking around. "It wasn't them, Kagome! There's 3 really long scary demons. They're covered in that weird black and red goo but they're really fast and Inuyasha couldn't cut them! It was like that thing you show me to stick things together. Glue!"

Kagome stiffens, too, at the news. "Three? I didn't see anything like that on my way here-"

"Miroku and Sango killed one of them and the other one-" Shippo begins to shake, quickly hugging himself onto Kagome. "Ate the other one. The s-screams were so b-bad, Kagome." He sniffles.

Kagome gently rubs Shippo's head, wishing she could bear all that Shippo had witnessed. He was nothing more than child, exposed to far too much violence and gore at too young of an age. The poor child. "I'm here for you, Shippo, and nothing will hurt you as long as I'm here." She presses a kiss to the crown of his head before gesturing to Inuyasha. "Right now, we need to regroup. Can you take us to Miroku and Sango?"

Shippo nods, eyes lit with passionate flames. Kagome smiles, knowing how proud Shippo was to have improved greatly in strength and abilities. He still couldn't travel long distances in his pink balloon transformation but for a kit, Kagome thinks his progress has been outstanding. She will treat Shippo for his hard work after the battle is over. Hopefully there won't be a third right after the second battle just as the second battle had occurred right after the first.

Strange creatures and strange timing.

Kagome blinks down at Shippo when he tugs at her pants, his other paw tugging on Inuyasha's hakama. "Righ-"

Kagome bends at the waist, left hand dropping her bow as both hands go to cover her ears from the sudden screech that tears through the forest. A gust follows, nearly lifting her off the ground and sending her flying. Kagome cracks an eye open at the sound of Shippo's yelp, and darts her hand out to grab onto Shippo. She pulls him against her chest, holding him there with one arm while the hand of the other covers an ear. At least she will have one good ear for hearing. When the gust dies down, Kagome looks around rapidly and is shocked by the sight that greets her... or rather what she _can_ see.

Shippo had been right when he mentioned the other demon being long but he had failed to mention the emaciated look of the demon. It only added to the unnerving feeling she was getting from it. It was covered, or _made_ , from the same black and red-streaked glob substance that the globular demons were made up of but that's where the similarities ended. While the globular demons had been fast, this demon was faster than her eyes could keep up with. His jaw was slack, down to its sternum, and eyes darting around as if analyzing or...  _something_. Kagome shudders as the black iris and white pupils skim over her figure, as brief as it may have been. Kagome's eyes catches the claws of the demon, watching the way they extend and retract in a slow motion, as if the demon couldn't decide which it preferred. She understands how that demon was able to bring Inuyasha down.

What really surprised her was Sesshomaru breaking through the trees at the same time as the demon. Apparently the two had engaged in combat and unlike Inuyasha, Sesshomaru didn't appear to have a single scratch on his person- Kagome thinks that's impressive considering that he, Sesshomaru, is holding Rin under his left arm while Rin holds onto Chiru.

"Protect Rin." Sesshomaru orders and Kagome, for a moment, doesn't realize that he's ordering  _her_.

Knowing its not the time or place to try her hand at fate by lecturing Sesshomaru that he sure has balls to order her around after nearly killing her, Kagome decides to instead pull Rin, and thus Chiru, next to her.  Besides, Kagome likes Rin and Chiru... and she isn't the type to let someone die if she has anything to say about it. Well, maybe Sesshomaru could be an exception.

He dropped her in the sky to get his point across, for heavens sake!

When Sesshomaru leaves her side to rejoin the battle, Kagome reaches behind to count the number of arrows in her quiver. Six. Kagome grimaces. It could be worse. She readies an arrow, but doesn't aim. Her job was to protect, not attack. She would leave that to Sesshomaru; but protecting proves to be difficult, Kagome finds out.

The demon is in front of her in the blink of the eye and Kagome can only stare with wide eyes as the demon tilts its head, jaw slackening enough to capture her neck between its fangs. It never gets the chance. Sesshomaru wraps the demon in his light whip, lifting the demon up and back away from her and those she's protecting. Kagome watches as the demon bleeds through the light whip, sinking the light whip into itself. Kagome expects the poison of the whip to burn the demon, to cause it pain, but the emaciated demon simply begins an attempt to pull Sesshomaru in by the light whip. Sesshomaru stands his ground, the light whip glowing a brighter green. Kagome thinks it must be Sesshomaru increasing the potency and amount of his poison but the demon is still unfazed.

The now green neon-glowing light whip begins to dim and the portion towards the emaciated demon begins to turn black. It shoots forward towards Sesshomaru's end at a speed even he's unable to react swiftly enough to. The black substance reaches Sesshomaru's hand before he's able to disconnect, but to Kagome's relief, Sesshomaru exuding his poison from his claws manages to dissipate the black from his hand. Realizing that Kagome wasn't paying attention to the demon, her eyes immediately jump back to the demon.

She finds it staring at her, jaw closed at a natural level... until its jaw goes slack and Kagome fires her arrow in front of herself- expecting it to charge. Her expectation had been right. She surprises herself when her arrow catches him a mere feet away before her, blowing away the left side of its torso including the demon's left arm. It howls in pain before releasing another screech that brings her down to her knees. Cracking an eye open, Kagome stares as the demon bends back. Its skin begin to roll and shake as if it were angry waters before a storm. Kagome thinks she made the situation worse, but in her defense, she was protecting just like Sesshomaru ordered her too. The demon's jaw goes slack again, down to its collarbone, and out of its mouth begins to ooze out the same substance its made out of. It's disgusting to Kagome but when she glances over at Sesshomaru, wondering why he isn't attacking, she finds him staring at the creature as unfazed as ever. Go figure.

Kagome readies another arrow, readying herself to release it into the damned mouth of the screeching demon, when it suddenly snaps its jaw close. It remains bent back, arms slack and swinging lightly with the wind, but Kagome focuses on the shifting and growing form of the blob.

' _Did it... molt_?' Kagome bites her lower lip, glancing at Sesshomaru. She's unsure if she should attack it and the fact that Sesshomaru isn't making a move leaves her thinking that maybe she shouldn't attack wildly... then again, it is Inuyasha's role to attack wildly without thought and since he's incapacitated, it would only be right for her to fill his role. Kagome thinks, as amusing as it would be to just attack wildly, to not act on her thoughts.

Another blink and Sesshomaru is in front of her, Bakusaiga drawn and pointed at the glob. Kagome feels Bakusaiga pulse, feels the demonic aura, before the attack comes. It's a projected focused blast right at the undulating glob. The glob expands on impact, growing larger and larger in size and Kagome can only think of the effects an explosion would have. Would the blast still contain the energy from Bakusaiga and if that becomes the case, wouldn't she and the others cease to exist on the spot? Sesshomaru wouldn't attack without analyzing a situation... in fact, she believes that's exactly what he had been doing all that time he had remained still.

She can't shake the feeling of unrest, however.

As quickly as it had begun to expand, the glob shrinks down to chest level of Sesshomaru. Without warning, the emaciated demon reanimates and vaults over the chest-high glob and swing its claws at Sesshomaru with a feral hiss. Sesshomaru aims the point of Bakusaiga at the demon, sending another small and concentrated blast of energy at the demon that sends it flying back and crashing to the ground several feet away. It thrashes about, screaming and hissing as its skin begins to hardened and crack in several places. It repeatedly slams its head against the hardened earth, claws clawing at itself. Kagome has to look away from it but Sesshomaru is unfazed, still. He sheathes Bakusaiga and turns to Rin.

"Your group seems incapable of dispatching such insignificant creatures." Sesshomaru states, eyes now on Kagome.

Kagome snorts a laugh. "Well, not everyone can be as grand as you, _Lord_ Sesshomaru."

"No, I suppose not." Sesshomaru returns and Kagome finds the little back-and-forth comforting, a bit of normalcy in all the strange recent events. Sure, if someone had told her that she would one day be able to sometimes have some light back-and-forth talk with Sesshomaru, killing perfection, she would've told that person to check themselves into a psychiatry ward, but Kagome learned over the years that Rin was right; Sesshomaru isn't as bad as people think him to be.

Kagome opens her mouth to comment on how he's being out-of-character by appearing humble by using the word 'suppose' but a spark in her aura causes her to freeze. Her concern only increases when she notices the way Sesshomaru doesn't seem to notice anything amiss. "Sesshomaru," Kagome whispers, eyes scanning the area as if she could see what she senses. "There's... there's something."

Sesshomaru narrows his eyes on her, briefly, before scanning the area himself. He doesn't appear to detect anything, or at least nothing seeming as a threat to him, since he doesn't reach for Bakusaiga nor assumes a stance to attack... then again, Kagome has never really seen Sesshomaru assume a fighting stance when engaging in combat like Inuyasha would.

Kagome trusts her instinct, however, and her instinct is flashing a red danger flag. She glances at the now silent and dying emaciated demon on the ground, noticing that Sesshomaru is aware of it despite not being actively attentive to it, and decides that its not what she senses. The glob on the ground is dying as well, barely any aura left in it, so Kagome also crosses it off her list. She stands, Shippo leaping onto her shoulder to follow. Kagome doesn't stray further than a hundred feet or so, pausing ever-so-often to see if she can get a reading or a pull in one direction or another.

Nothing.

She continues walking within a hundred feet or so from where Rin and Chiru lay unconscious, not worry for their protection thanks to Sesshomaru.

"Kagome," Shippo whines. "I feel funny."

Kagome hides her frown. ' _Me too,_ ' Kagome thinks. ' _But why doesn't Sesshomaru sense anything?_ '

"Funny how, Shippo?" Kagome asks as Shippo shifts.

"I don't know, Kagome." He mumbles. "It feels like... kind of like you?" Shippo looks back at Rin before looking forward. "Is Rin-chan going to be okay?"

Kagome smiles lightly. When Rin had been a child, she had started an unbreakable bond with Shippo, he easily becoming her very first friend and eventually best friend. Despite their age difference, they were still as close as ever, inseparable really. Kagome thinks it helps that Rin has been able to stay a child at heart. It's no wonder that Shippo is worried. "Sesshomaru isn't worry so I'm sure Rin will be fine. It was probably exhaustion and she was injured in the last battle so she won't need more than a good rest and some good medicine to get her back on her feet. You'll see."

Reassured by Kagome's words, Shippo smiles. "Okay."

"Miko."

Kagome stops, turning to face Sesshomaru. "Yes?"

"You mentioned sensing something amiss."

Kagome blinks. Oh, he wanted her to report to him her findings. "I can't pinpoint anything but... I can feel something off. Shippo can too."

Sesshomaru stares and Kagome stares back.

' _Right. Another awkward moment_. _Honestly, how does Rin deal with Sesshomaru?_ ' Kagome sighs, looking down at the unconscious females as Shippo hops down and hurries to their side. "We're probably just on edge. I mean, if you can't sense it-"

"You do not believe that."

Kagome looks up at Sesshomaru. So he can tell when she's lying. Kagome wonders how. She had become a good liar, thanks to her career, but maybe she's just a good liar when it comes to humans... Sesshomaru could probably smell or hear a change in her. Who knows. "No." Kagome admits. "I know we're going off just feelings but I'm usually never wrong with my sensing. It feels familiar, Shippo said it feels a bit like me? I don't know what that means. I don't think it feels like me but I don't know what it feels like."

"Hn. It is unfamiliar to you." Sesshomaru comments.

Kagome nods. "Yes but it's not threatening. It's not really welcoming either. It's just... there. It's like a very light breeze that comes and goes but it's not coming or leaving from a direction. I mean, at least I can't detect a fixed position." Kagome sighs again, frustrated at the teasing pull and push of... _whatever_ it is. "We should probably be on our guard?"

Sesshomaru doesn't say more and Kagome guesses that means their conversation is over. Sighing again, Kagome walks away from the clearing and to a nearby tree where her basket of herbs had been hurled at by her before the battle began. The screech of the emaciated demon, now nothing more than a memory, had launched the basket up into a low tree. Kagome curses the demon for making her job that much exhausting. It could have been worse, so Kagome reminds herself to be thankful it hadn't. She slings her bow over her left shoulder before climbing the short distance to the tree branch where her basket sat nestled. She jumps and grabs at the lowest and sturdiest tree branch, pulling herself with the aid of her feet kicking against the tree bark. Good to see her working out benefiting her. She continues her climb up to a third three branch where she sits. She pulls her bow off her shoulder and begins prodding at the basket across from her to make it fall. 

"Kagome!" Shippo shouts.

"Don't worry, Shippo, I almost got-" Kagome's eyes widen as her eyes are met with black and red. Her brain doesn't bother forming a thought, instead it kicks her body into gear. Kagome throws herself back, legs hooking the branch beneath her, effectively escaping death. She manages to catch one arrow as they fall out of her quiver, notching it and readying it. She almost releases it out of instinct but Sesshomaru had reacted too. He was behind the glob-like substance and Kagome couldn't risk firing her sacred arrow. She drops her arrow, bow going over her head and settling across her chest, before she grabs at the branch with her hands and pulls herself up. The sudden blood rush causes her to jerk to a stop, briefly, but Kagome quickly begins her descent as it passes.

When she lands on her feet, she's surprised to see Kohaku standing over Rin and Chiru in defense as Sesshomaru effortlessly battles the glob. The projectiles that it launches to Sesshomaru are just as easily obliterated by Bakusaiga or dexterously dodged.

"Kohaku," Kagome shouts after gathering the few arrows she has and dumping them into her quiver. "How's the village? I feel like everyone handled the attack well." Kagome says after reaching Kohaku's side and standing beside him to help in defense. During her battle alongside with Sesshomaru, she had been able to detect the diminishing demonic aura of the demons and had also sensed Miroku's and Sango's aura appearing healthy and sturdy enough. She wasn't the best at aura reading so had to ask to be sure.

Kohaku smiles and nods. "Those little demons were annoying but they weren't difficult. The big one was subdued by Miroku and sister Sango killed it off. They're really weak to pure energy."

Kagome noticed earlier that the small ones were easy enough to eliminate but the big one had been difficult to dispatch on her end. Maybe it was because the second one had eaten another one and thus become stronger?

A projectile passes Sesshomaru, heading towards Rin, but Kohaku deflects it masterfully- glancing down at Rin afterwards to check on her.

"Good one. I'll let Sango know just how fast your reflexes have gotten." Kagome smiles, eyes on the enemy just like Kohaku.

"God, please don't. I don't need to be embarrassed anymore." He chuckles.

Seeming to have had enough, Sesshomaru leaps back- showing off, Kagome thinks, by executing a back spring into the air with a twist to avoid projectiles- and swinging Bakusaiga in a clean and swift motion. The demonic aura is greater, Kagome notices, than his close-range blasts from the tip of Bakusaiga and Kagome thinks that the reason for Sesshomaru engaging in a dance of sorts with the glob-like demon was to create distance between the demon and Rin.

"If the village is cleared, we need to send Rin and Chiru there. They'll be safer there-"

"Wait, Kagome, he killed it!" Shippo exclaims happily.

When Kagome looks over at the demon again, she finds its substance changing into liquid almost. It wavers and sways as it begins to slowly melt down but Kagome doesn't let her guard down. Last time it had been frozen solid and they had also believed the fight over. It wasn't necessarily a difficult demon to fight but it was definitely annoying to deal with.

"Still, better safe than sorry. Shippo, you can take Inuyasha and Chiru, Kohaku and I will take Rin. I'll protec-"

But Kagome doesn't finish explaining her plan. A force almost knocks the air out of her as she's thrown back. She's vaguely aware of the shouts of her friends as she hits earth, rolling away from the momentum. Groaning, Kagome pushes up onto her forearms and raises her head to scan for her friends. Kohaku had been sent back onto a tree, Rin in his arms. Kohaku was still conscious. Good. Shippo had transformed into his pink balloon to cushion Chiru's landing, preventing her from crashing into one of the many trees. Shippo was conscious too but dazed from the looks of it. Inuyasha had been sent rolling into bushes but Kagome was too far away to see if he had been injured. Not bad but not good.

Kagome then moves her quick examination onto herself. She focuses on her chest first, taking the time to see if she could detect any abnormal pain. Nothing beyond what she expects will be bruises later. She moves an arm, then the other, before doing the same with her legs. Everything seemed in order, tender, but in order. Her bow was another story.

Forcing herself up into a seated position, Kagome takes another look around. The solidified form of the globular demon was no more, no doubt it had shattered and that had resulted in the blast. Speaking of blast, where was Sesshomaru? Now, that was strange. She would have expected Sesshomaru to have protected Rin and Kohaku but he wasn'-

Kagome's eyes widen as she sees Sesshomaru appear a few hundred feet away from her but he doesn't stay there long. He's disappears and reappears again and again and again- Kagome blinks a few times to clear her blurry vision but it's only made worse by the effort. Exhaling on a shaky breath, Kagome closes her eyes. She can hear the sound of Sesshomaru speeding from one spot to another and a sound similar to thunder. Was it the demon? Was it another demon? Damn, they just couldn't catch a break!

She waits a few more moments, impatiently, before opening her eyes slowly and looking at the area before her. She half-expected to see the earth scorched from where she assumed lightning would have hit, following the thunderous sound. It could be a demon capable of controlling the element of lightning and thunder. It wasn't as if Kagome hadn't seen that before. But, no. There is no thunder and no lightning... but there is a flash of sorts that Kagome barely registers before its gone. The second time happens, Kagome catches a better view. From where it's coming, Kagome can't tell but it appears as a pillar of light that comes and goes almost at Sesshomaru's speed.

"Kagome, Kagome, that thing took the glob away!" Shippo shouts to Kagome.

Kagome blinks, confused by what he was saying. "What do you mea-?"

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kohaku shouts, voice so panic-induced that it has Kagome tearing her eyes from Shippo towards Sesshomaru- or where he was last- but Sesshomaru isn't in trouble. Instead, she sees Sesshomaru dash in the direction of Kohaku's voice. Kagome's eyes slide over to Kohaku... and she finally understands the panic in his voice.

The pillar of yellow light had landed on Rin and Kohaku, and while they didn't seem to be physically hurt by it, Kohaku was unable to come out of it. It seemed almost like a barrier, keeping Kohaku and Rin inside. Kagome watches as Kohaku attacks it repeatedly but no matter which weapon he uses, the pillar of light remains unaffected by the onslaught of attack. When Sesshomaru reaches the pillar of light, he aims up- several thousand feet- and unleashes a blast from Bakusaiga... but the pillar of light is unfazed. Sesshomaru readies for another attack but a second pillar of light forces him to retreat, shifting onto defense. Kagome thinks its impressive that, while eluding, he's still able to accurately fire blasts from Bakusaiga towards the pillar of light entrapping Rin and Kohaku. As impressive as it is, it doesn't seem to work.

Cursing the fact that her bow is broken, Kagome scrambles to a nearby arrow as fast as she can. She stands, arrow in her hands as she rapidly pours spiritual energy into the sacred arrow. When the arrow hums, signaling it being full, Kagome holds it in her right hand and makes a run towards the pillar of light. She thanks her years of physical education in high school as she begins to slow almost to full stop while simultaneously swinging her right arm from back, up, forward- launching the arrow into the sky and towards the pillar of light. She stumbles to a stop, eyes on her sacred arrow as it flies through the sky leaving behind a color trail of lavender and small sparks of her spiritual energy in its path. When the arrow hits, it's embedded and the pillar of light ripples and dulls from top to bottom. The arrow continues to push through the pillar of light while the pillar of light appears to try to push back. Noticing this, Sesshomaru attempts another blast of his Bakusaiga aimed where Kagome's arrow is embedded but another pillar of light forms, reinforcing the first layer.

Well, damn. Kagome goes for another arrow but she doesn't make it. A pillar of light crashes onto her, trapping her the same as Kohaku and Rin. She hears Shippo panicked, sees Kohaku and Rin rising from the earth- undoubtedly due to the pillar of light, and feels her heart drop as she too begins to rise. Kagome presses her hands against pillar of light and realizes that it does feel much like a barrier and then she connects two and two. What she had been sensing, what she had been feeling... it was this.

Kagome glances at Kohaku who looks at her with panic in his eyes, who's holding Rin tightly to his chest, and then glances down to see Shippo outside her pillar of light, pounding and attacking it as he cries and screams her name. An explosion against her pillar of light shocks her, and it takes Sesshomaru appearing before her to realize that it had been an energy blast from Bakusaiga that had created the explosion. He was attempting to rescue her, no doubt so she could help Rin afterwards. Still, she's extremely thankful for the help... even if it hadn't been effective.

"Miko, focus your energy onto a spot." Sesshomaru advises.

Kagome doesn't need to be told a second time but her ascent makes it difficult for her to spend more than two seconds on a spot. It's not enough. "I can't!" Kagome hears the panic in her voice, hates it.

"Try." Sesshomaru demands.

"I _am_!" Kagome shouts, her spiritual energy coming out in sparks as her focus wavers. Dammit. Kagome presses her hands against the barrier and tries again and again and again but spending a mere two seconds isn't enough to cause a change in the structure of the barrier. It's not like she could turn herself into an arrow and launch herself like she had done her arrow-

' _Wait, that's exactly it!_ ' Kagome smiles. If a sudden and large burst of spiritual energy caused her sacred arrow to become embedded into the pillar of light then it should stand that a sudden burst of spiritual energy from inside the pillar of light should halt her ascension, temporarily probably... she hopes long enough for her to be able to focus on a spot.

"Miko." Sesshomaru states, seeming to notice her having a plan.

He wants an explanation.

"Stand back, just in case." Kagome says hurriedly, already concentrating on the flow of spiritual energy. She feels it burn and rippling throughout her body, wanting a way out, but Kagome forces it to stay within. Sweat beads form on her forehead, her breathing grows shallow, but Kagome clenches her teeth and increases the flow of her spiritual energy- needing it to be as potent as she can get it. It's not a trial and error sort of situation and Kagome is aware that this will be her one and only chance to escape.

When she's ready, Kagome looks up to see Sesshomaru- ascending with her and distancing himself a few feet away, watching her.

"Okay." Kagome breathes, body humming and glowing.

She closes her eyes, to protect her eyesight, before releasing the built-up spiritual energy in one powerful and swift blast that leaves her feeling lightheaded and almost wholly drained. The pillar of light pulses against the burst of energy and dims... and Kagome halts. "Yes!" Kagome shouts, hands immediately going against the barrier of the pillar of light, focusing her spiritual energy once more. Knowing she doesn't have time on her side, she focuses the flow of spiritual energy in a rapid movement to her hands- pumping force into it as it flows out. "Come on, come on!"

The pillar of light hums, an almost mechanical sound, as the spot Kagome targets begins to fracture. It's still not enough and Kagome realizes it. She also realizes, to her horror, that the pillar of light was beginning to recuperate from her earlier blast. "Come on!" She hisses, eyes narrowing as she tries to fight the dizzy spell coming and focusing on the flow of her spiritual aura. It's exhausting, draining, but right before her spiritual energy falters, she hears a loud crack and knows she broke through to the other side.

She pushes herself back when Sesshomaru charges with Bakusaiga aimed at the crack. Bakusaiga breaks through, the tip alone, but it's more than enough. Bakusaiga glows green as Sesshomaru releases his and Bakusaiga's demonic energy, targeting the pillar. Again, the pillar of light begins to flicker and dim- humming a mechanical sound, in protest. Kagome glances over at Rin and Kohaku, noticing Rin had regained consciousness and that Kohaku seemed to be explaining the situation to her. Several thousand feet below her, she sees Miroku and Sango with Shippo beside them. Kagome doesn't doubt that they came after seeing the pillar of light from the village. Sango is panicking, attacking the pillar of light trapping Kohaku and Rin while Miroku helps and Shippo explains the situation.

"Miko, ready yourself." Sesshomaru warns but Kagome doesn't know what he means by that other than to be attentive.

The pillar of light shatters, sounding like a thousand glassware breaking simultaneously. Kagome dips, no longer being held by the now destroyed pillar of light, but Sesshomaru's mokomoko-sama wraps itself around Kagome, pulling her behind Sesshomaru. There's no time for a breather, even though Kagome's body begs for it, as Sesshomaru flies to the next pillar of light trapping Kohaku and Rin.

But they don't make it. Sesshomaru halts his forward charge and evades to his left then right and back as new pillar of lights form, acting in defense to stop them from reaching Kohaku and Rin. It works. Kagome grips mokomoko-sama, yelping when she's jerked around by the momentum. With her bow destroyed, her arrows probably too, she can only rely on coming into direct contact with the pillar of light in order to be of an use but the way that they're being pushed back, Kagome doesn't see her being able to help anytime soon.

Not good.

A shout from her friends below makes her look down and then up at what her friends are pointing up at. Previously, the pillar of light had seemed never-ending, but now it seemed to have an opened horizontal black tear inside the pillar of light. Kagome feels panic settling in her stomach. "Sesshomaru-"

Sesshomaru casts a glimpse at the tear but it's all he can afford before he's forced to focus on evading again. He didn't like being forced to play defense, but he couldn't see an opening to change the tide of battle. How distasteful.

"Lord Sesshomaru, look out!" Rin shouts.

Both Kagome and Sesshomaru look around themselves. A vertical tear, a couple hundred feet to their left, opens and glimmers yellow before a pillar of light shoots from it. From the side, well that was new. Kagome yelps as she's jerked left in the direction that Sesshomaru evades, the right, then back back back and forward. Kagome feels nauseated. The onslaught of pillar of lights continue, all stemming from vertical or horizontal tears in space that disappear as soon as they appear.

Kagome looks at Rin and Kohaku, realizing that they weren't going to be able to reach them in time with their current plan. Her brain works overtime as she tries to think of any idea to at least slow Rin and Kohaku from entering the tear not too far above them. Her bow was destroyed, her arrows too. Simple attacks didn't seem to work on the pillars of light and only a large amount of spiritual energy seemed to stop it, even then only temporarily. Kagome furrows her eyebrows as she focuses on the pillar of light entrapping Rin and Kohaku. No cracks, not even a fracture. Kagome thinks back to the amount of energy it took her to pause her ascension temporarily and thinks she won't be able to manage that again too quickly but maybe she can use a similar amount of energy to cause a break from the outside.

Theoretically speaking- or thinking- she could cause a larger impact if she used momentum on her side... say, if she were hurled in the direction of the pillar of light while flaring up a barrier. She grimaces at the thought. It's a thought she wouldn't have been able to think of if it hadn't been for her doing a similar thing a couple of weeks ago at a lake with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Rin. They had been having a cannonball contest, Shippo and Rin losing in third place while Inuyasha took first and Sango and Miroku second place. Miroku had jokingly suggested that she create a barrier before jumping in to create a larger splash and, Kagome haven been fueled by Inuyasha's teasing, took it as a pointer. It had worked, a little too well- but long story short, Kagome thinks it could work now.

Hopefully.

When she explains her plan to Sesshomaru, he doesn't argue- in fact, he seems to agree with her plan. Kagome doesn't know if his agreement is because he thinks its a safe plan or because he's impatient. Kagome thinks its the latter. Well, Kagome always wanted to know what it would feel like to fly through the sky like an arrow- no, not really. She's terrified of the the mere thought of it but if she would have anyone hurl her into the face of danger, she guesses Sesshomaru is the safest bet.

Oh god, she was going to die.

"Prepare." Is all Sesshomaru says before mokomoko-sama whips her back and launching her forward.

Kagome screams as she flies through the air, all the while managing to create a barrier in her panic-induced state. At the speed she had been traveling, she crashes against the barrier in no time, finding herself suspended in place as her barrier is embedded against the pillar of light. Right, she hadn't thought about what would happen after crashing into the pillar of light... had Sesshomaru thought that far ahead or had he just thrown her life into the wind? Deciding to put that question on the back burner, she presses her hands against a fracture on the outside of the pillar of light and begins pumping her spiritual energy into it. The familiar mechanical sound, much like a dying machine, begins to hum to life as the light of the pillar flickers in and out. That was good.

"Kagome, it's working!" Rin shouts, hands pressed against the barrier as she watches Kagome break through the pillar of light, slowly but surely.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Kagome-!" Kohaku shouts and Kagome yelps when a new pillar of light crashes down on her barrier from above... but it doesn't engulf her. The new pillar of light struggles above her but it doesn't get past her barrier, shining from the point of impact and above but not being able to pass through her barrier and reach the ground.

Good. Kagome focuses on Rin and Kohaku again, fractures becoming cracks slowly.

"Rin!"

"Kohaku!"

At the couple shouting each others name simultaneously, Kagome looks away from the spot she's focused on to look at Rin and Kohaku... or better yet what had caused the other to alarm one another. From the tear inside the pillar of light, oozing black tendrils were beginning to descend towards Rin and Kohaku, but without warning the oozing state changes to a solid fluid tentacle-like state that dart out at alarming speed. They wrap themselves around Rin and Kohaku, pulling them up and towards the tear. Cursing, Kagome doubles her effort- doing her best to ignore how her vision begins to darken at the edges. Another shout, this time from Miroku, makes her tear her eyes away from the spot she's targeting and up to Rin and Kohaku.

She thought it couldn't get worse but god she couldn't have been more wrong.

The black tentacles were seeping into their flesh and pulling out, what looked like to Kagome, their  _spirit_. Kagome sees the life flickering out of Rin's eyes as she looks at Kagome and Kagome can only watch in horror as their spirit is fully extracted from their body and pulled into the black void.

Kagome hears her friends shouting, can sense Bakusaiga's demonic energy as Sesshomaru makes contact with a crack in the barrier, but it's too late. The tear closes with a deafening thunderous clap, the blast sending her flying back and down into the earth- only surviving thanks to her barrier cushioning her crash. Her barrier flickers a few times before fading, leaving her in the deep crater formed from her crash. She lays there, letting her body recover enough for her to move without losing consciousness. Kagome knows she will feel the consequence of overusing her spiritual energy and aura in such poor manner come tomorrow but she can't be bothered with that right now.

She slowly rolls onto her stomach and just as slowly gets onto all four before half-dragging and half-climbing out of the crater. Even before she sees the sight before her, she knows from Sango's cries that the worse had come. When Kagome comes out the crater, she sees Sango kneeling at Sesshomaru's side with Kohaku hugged against her chest- sobbing. Rin is cradled by one of Sesshomaru's arm, he also kneeling.

"No," Kagome breathes. "Oh god, no."

Kagome tries to get a reading on their spiritual energy, even the lightest flicker, but...

They were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was really fun to write. Feel free to comment on what you thought, what can be improved, what you think is happening or will happen, or anything really :)


	6. When It Rains...

"So... so if they're not dead... what-?" Sango's voice breaks, wiping away at her tears as she falls silent.

Miroku pulls Sango into a side hug, watching as Sango strokes Kohaku's cheek with her free hand.

Kagome glances at Sesshomaru, his reveal having shocked the little group at the site of the battle. Kagome had noticed that Sesshomaru had been silent, and while she knew he was a man of composure- she knew how much Rin meant to Sesshomaru, that he not having a reaction to Rin's passing was abnormal. Kagome hadn't expected Sesshomaru to sob like Sango had but... some sort of act of grief would have sufficed. He hadn't grieved. Sesshomaru had held Rin in one arm, kneeling on one knee, while he watched her as if puzzled by her state. It was moments after that he announced that Rin, and thus Kohaku, were not dead. He hadn't explained further, taking Rin and stating that he would return to the center of the village to speak to the elder, Kaede. Sango had been shaken, confused- still crying- but Kagome could see the glimmer of hope in her red eyes.

Miroku had taken Kohaku on his back, Sango helping, while Shippo had taken Inuyasha and Chiru there by flight. Kagome walked with Sango, holding one of her hands in an attempt to comfort her best friend.

Upon arriving at the center of the village, they were greeted with looks of worried and confusion- most casting glances in the direction of Kaede's hut. Sesshomaru had been there. Chiru and Inuyasha were dropped off at a separate area to be tended too while everyone else gathered in Kaede's hut.

Now, they sat around the two mortal bodies as Kaede examined them.

"Ay," Kaede nods, the act confirming Sesshomaru's words. "It seems to be true, Lord Sesshomaru."

"B-but... but what _are_ they?" Sango asks, eyebrows furrowed as she looks at her little brother.

"Suspended animation?" Kagome suggests, remembering her own little brother having used that term many times when playing video games. She wasn't one for video games but she had shared enough gaming moments with her brother to have picked up a thing or too. "It's... kind of like hibernation?"

Miroku mulls over the suggestion.

"Sesshomaru said that-"

"Yeah, they don't smell like death." Inuyasha interrupts, surprising the small group- all but Sesshomaru and Kaede. "Humans always smell like death, at least a little." Inuyasha sits down beside Kagome, grunting.

"Inuyasha, you should be resting." Kagome says in a worried rush. "What're you-"

"Heh, it'll take more than that to take me out." Inuyasha gives Kagome a small smile, attempting to reassure her.

It works, even if only a little.

"Right." Kagome smiles small in turn.

"We smell like... death?" Sango blinks.

"It don't stink," Inuyasha smirks. "If that's what ya thinkin'."

Kagome waves a dismissing hand, that's a conversation for another time. "So, wait, they're still human, right? What _do_ they smell like? You said that humans _always_ smell like death... so?"

Shippo speaks up. "That's what's weird, Kagome. They don't have a smell."

At that Kaede glances up at Sesshomaru who stands at a corner of the hut. "Lord Sesshomaru, is this true?"

Sesshomaru doesn't answer immediately, eyes on the two mortals, indubitably thinking further than their current conversation. "They do not have a scent." He confirms.

They group falls silent with the new information.

What did that mean?

Miroku is the one to break the silence. "If they are not dead and if they are not alive... then it is as Kagome stated, this is _'suspended animation'_? But for how long? Are you, Lord Sesshomaru, capable of detecting the length of this state?"

Sesshomaru's eyes flicker to Miroku, no malicious intent in his eyes. "No." Sesshomaru states. "They do not have any scent upon their person, thus, inhibiting a reading."

Kagome rubs at her temples, mind racing. So, they were in suspended animation- somehow- but they didn't know how long they would stay in that state. The good news was that they weren't dead, brilliant news really, but on the flip side, they didn't know how long Kohaku and Rin would be  _not dead_. How long can a person survive without a soul? It wasn't like she could go back to her time and find the answer through a quick search and she also couldn't go around asking without risking being taken in for mental instability or risking a meeting with a cult of sort.

But just because she's unable to easily search in her time period doesn't mean she can't search in the feudal era. "Research." Kagome suggests in unison with Miroku. Kagome motions for Miroku to continue. Miroku nods, thanking her, before he explains.

"We do not know much regarding souls," Miroku begins. "But Kagome has firsthand experience in the matter." He stops, looking at Kagome as if asking for permission to continue on the delicate topic. Kagome nods.

Inuyasha stiffens lightly, eyes focusing on his lap.

"When Priestess Kikyo was brought back from the netherworld, it was due to Kagome's soul." Miroku states.

Sesshomaru doesn't react. He had not been a part of their group, had not known nor cared for them, and had been unaware of the news but he had been able to detect the younger priestess on the older priestess. Sesshomaru concluded, on his own, that the woman wondered the earth once again because of the younger woman- the so-called reincarnation. He had not cared to know more.

"When Kagome's soul had been extracted from her body, she too had been in a state of suspended animation. Shippo had described to me in his telling of the occurrence that he had not been able to detect Kagome in any other form other than sight." Miroku smiles down at Shippo who smiles in return. "When Kagome's soul returned to her body, most of it at least, she returned to her normal self. On the other hand, we have had occurrences where a person's soul is destroyed and they corpse of the body smells of death- almost rotting, according to Shippo and Inuyasha."

"You're saying that their souls are safe, then?" Sango asks, trying to confirm his words.

"It's speculation but based on what we know of souls and spirits... I would assume so." Miroku brings both of Sango's hands onto his lap where he gently strokes her hands. Sango leans onto his shoulder, eyes closing.

"So the question is  _where_  are their souls." Kagome whispers.

"I can't catch a whiff of 'em." Inuyasha admits, glancing at Sesshomaru. "And by the looks of it, he can't either." Frowning, arms crossing over his chest, he continues. "Some great help you were."

"Inuyasha, don't." Kagome warns.

"Tell me, dear brother, had it not been you incapacitated during battle. Had it not been you that required the protection of a mortal?" Sesshomaru replies, nonchalantly.

"Why you litt-"

"Inuyasha, enough!" Kagome interrupts. "This is not the time or the place, okay? If you got so much energy, why don't you try to think of a solution instead of picking a fight?"

Inuyasha's ears flicker. "You think I'm weak? You think I'm at fault-"

"No, Inuyasha." Kagome interjects. "It wasn't anyone's fault, okay? Everyone did their best but this is obviously something we've never encountered before. All we can do is work _together_ to find a solution to all of this. You two can have at it after we get Kohaku's and Rin's soul back."

Inuyasha doesn't reply.

Deciding that she had pacified the situation, she stands onto her feet wavering slightly as the consequences of her actions begin to roll over her. She falls onto a knee, drawing concerned gasps and calls of her name. "I'm fine." Kagome whispers, standing slower and with the help of Sango. "It's just been... a rough couple of days."

"You should rest, Kagome." Sango advises, clasping Kagome by the shoulders and looking at her with great motherly-like concern.

Kagome gives a small shake of the head. "I will but... not here." She glances at Sesshomaru. Why was she even worried? It wasn't as if Sesshomaru would have any interest in the truth about her and he wasn't a threat either, seeing as how he couldn't travel through time. "I have to get home," Kagome says cautiously, deciding that Sesshomaru doesn't have to know the truth. "But I promise I won't stop looking for a solution."

Sango nods, smile small. She knows her best friend, knows how Kagome has a life of her own in her own time that needs attending to. Sango would never hold it against her, especially not when Kagome had risked so much to save Kohaku. Sango was always understanding and today was no different. Kagome was ever grateful.

The two women share a hug before Kagome begins her round of goodbye, informing them that she would be back within four days- hopefully. She informs Kaede that her herbs had been destroyed, apologizing, but Kaede admits to her that it had been mainly busy work. Kagome thinks it's a lie to make her feel better and promises herself to do a bit of herb gathering on her next return.

Inuyasha attempts to walk her but Kagome threatens, an empty threat, to sit him if he so much as tries to step in the direction. Of course, she hadn't mean it with him being as injured as he was, but Inuyasha falls for her bluff- grumbling about how she was unnecessarily cruel and that he couldn't wait until he found a way to get the subjugation beads off.

"Well, I'm off. Oh, Inuyasha, when you're feeling better, I left a few suitcases full of treats and gifts for everyone. Be a dear and get them when you can?" Kagome asks sweetly, realizing that she should have, in fact, accepted his offer. She couldn't really backtrack on her words and Inuyasha really shouldn't be hulling around suitcases with his injury. 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Inuyasha grumbles.

Kagome gives one last goodbye to the group before heading out the hut and in the direction of The Forest of Inuyasha. She's surprised when Sesshomaru, of all people, follow behind.

Or maybe they were heading in the same direction?

"Priestess." Sesshomaru speaks, startling Kagome to a stop.

Really, what was it with him and speaking out of the blue? If he didn't have such a commanding voice, Kagome wouldn't mind it much, but that wasn't the case and she was tired of jumping or flinching at almost every interaction she has with the daiyokai.

"Yes?" Kagome asks, turning to face Sesshomaru.

"This time period of yours, does it contain information regarding souls?" Sesshomaru asks.

Kagome blinks. "My... my what?"

Annoyed, Sesshomaru's eyebrows narrow slightly on her. He wasn't one to repeat himself and he was sure the woman had heard him. "I will not repeat myself."

"Yeah, sure, that's great and all but-" Kagome blinks again, glancing back to the hut before looking at Sesshomaru. "How do... who-?"

Sesshomaru wonders, briefly, why was it that the priestess rarely answered his question without inquiring in turn. Was it a concept of mortals or was it specific to this one?

"Was it... Rin? Did she tell you?" Kagome continues her questioning. "How long have you known? Why did you never say anything? How much do you know?"

Sesshomaru's eyes narrow further. She was exhausting and he did not want to humor her round of questioning... but it did not appear as if he would have a choice if he wanted to extract an answer. He would give her some information, he decides, just enough to calm her nerves so he can get his own answers. It would be a fair exchange, not him bending at the knee, he tells himself.

"I learned of your origin many years ago, priestess. I do not have to share my knowledge with you.... now, answer my question." Sesshomaru demands, believing his answer to have the ability to calm her enough to get the information he needs.

"Wait, _many years_?"

Apparently his response had the opposite effect, he realizes.

"Okay, uh-huh, _years_... no biggie." Kagome begins pacing, one hand at her hip while the other hand works index finger and thumb to pinch at the bridge of her nose. "You've just known my biggest secret for _years_ and never bothered to mention that you knew about my secret for  _years_."

Sesshomaru frowns.

Kagome doesn't notice.

"Good, gods!" Kagome exclaims.

"Enough." Sesshomaru orders.

" _Enough?_ Jesus, Sesshomaru you just- you just revealed that you've known my deepest secret for years and I'm suppose to just accept that and move on? I need a moment, okay?" Kagome throws her hands in the air, frustration and anger and confusion all filling to the brim.

"What is your concern?" Sesshomaru almost hisses, patience growing thin. "I am not a lowly demon that would use the likes of blackmail and I do not have a purpose to reveal to others this secret of yours. Quite frankly, priestess, I do not care for your secret."

Kagome wraps her arms around herself, peering at Sesshomaru over her shoulder... dubiously.

She doubts his words. The gall of the woman!

"It's not that I think you would blackmail me, Sesshomaru." Kagome whispers softly. "It's beneath you, I know." She turns her gaze away from Sesshomaru and towards the hut. "It's just... it's something really important to me and I feel like... I've been exposed. Like exposed, raw, before you."

And she doesn't know him. She doesn't know him well enough for him to know something so intimate of hers. It doesn't make sense to him, Kagome is sure of it, but she wants to explain herself even if he can't understand her. The fact that he had known for years was a greater blow to her.

Her friends knew and a select few of the villagers, such as Chiru, but it had been known to them by Kagome's choice. Kagome had divulged that information to those that she felt safe around and Sesshomaru... Sesshomaru had known of such a private and personal part of her life for years. Years! He wouldn't do anything with the information, she knows this, but she can't help feeling open to Sesshomaru... as if she is wholly bare to him while he still has layers upon layers to him. Yes, that was another issue. She didn't have to know the ins-and-outs of Sesshomaru but she would feel more comfortable knowing  _something._ At least to Kagome, the sharing of something personal was a form of bonding and it had to be mutual... not something snatched behind her back.

Her feeling of discomfort grows beneath his watch and she wants nothing more to leave. "My time period is complicated when it's about... souls." Kagome shifts her weight to her left hip, biting her lower lip as she hugs herself tighter. "I'll do my research but I can't promise anything. You'll have better luck searching in this era."

Sesshomaru notices the way she purposely does not elaborate, senses the discomfort rolling off her in waves. It was not like the priestess to reply in short sentences nor was it like her to display the levels of discomfort she was emanating currently. He does not understand why it is that the priestess finds it uncomfortable that he is aware of her origin being of another period. If he has not acted upon the knowledge in all these years, why would he now? Her period was of no interest to him prior to today and even now his interest stems from its significance in regards to aiding Rin, nothing more.

"Why is that? I have noticed your medical supplies tend to be of far greater quality than those of this era." Sesshomaru speaks, intent on learning more as to why the priestess believes her advanced time period would offer little to no aid.

"I-" Kagome's shoulders sag, she eyes the hut again before turning in the direction of The Forest of Inuyasha. "Follow me."

 

===== The Forest of Inuyasha =====

 

"Priestess, you have yet to answer my question." Sesshomaru reminds as they walk through The Forest of Inuyasha.

"Right." Kagome sighs. "You asked why my time period won't give me a lot of answers."

Kagome doesn't feel comfortable elaborating but she knows that any information she can give could potentially help Rin and Kohaku in some way or another. It's not like Sesshomaru could travel through the well, anyway. Now that would have been a terrifying thought, one she wishes would remain as a thought any nothing more.

"In my time, there's... demons don't exist." Kagome decides it was best to start with the greatest reveal of them all. She pauses, not saying more, and not daring to glance at Sesshomaru to see his reaction. Would he think that she was lying? Would he demand to know why demons are extinct in her time period? 

"Continue." Is Sesshomaru's reply to the bomb Kagome just dropped.

At that, Kagome whips her head in his direction- eyes on him. "You're not... curious?"

"No." Sesshomaru answers.

Kagome bites her lip, facing forward again as she walks. How could he not be curious? How could he not express concern, anger, doubt- how could he be so emotionless about the fact that  _he_ dies somewhere in the next five hundred years. How could he not worry or wonder about his own demise? Of course, Kagome doesn't have the answers but... but if she were in his shoes, she would have crumbled under the news. A daiyokai is practically an immortal being and while she doesn't know Sesshomaru's age, she can only estimate him to be around a century old at least. He would die young and the news didn't faze him in the lightest.

It unnerves Kagome.

"What we know here, now, is all supernatural in my time. I mean... there are many people that are religious, I believe in gods and goddesses myself, but... for the most part, believing in demons and ghosts isn't a _sane_ thing to think." Kagome wraps her arms around herself again. "There are people that look into the supernatural but most are money grabbers and the other part of the majority are not... all there, mentally."

Sesshomaru is silent. Kagome understands this as him telling her to continue. God, she wishes he weren't so... emotionless.

"So that's why my research will be limited in my era. Only my family knows about my travels and the supernatural of this era." Kagome bites her lower lip, hands slipping into her back pockets. "There's my granddad but he's... never been to produce effective charms." She chuckles at the memories of his many encounter with Inuyasha and his endless attempts to prove that that one charm would work.

Sesshomaru eyes the young priestess, curious as to what she found humorous. "How long is the travel to and fro?"

Kagome shrugs. "I mean, I've never even thought about crunching the numbers-"

The daiyokai takes note of her strange phrasing, placing it on the back burner to dissect at another time. She often spoke in a... puzzling manner.

"-but I would say maybe a few seconds? I'm no time expert." Kagome gives her head a light tilt to the left, thinking. "The seasons are the same, the weather too for the most part... I guess. I just jump in and _fwoosh_ I'm there."

"Is this a power only accessible to you?"

Kagome hesitates. Well, maybe she had been wrong about Sesshomaru's lack of curiosity. He was curious alright. "Well, some demons have been able to cross... Yura of the Hair was one and Mistress Centipede- the latter pulled me through the first time and Yura... well, her hair had been able to cross. There's also Inuyasha." Kagome frowns. "I never thought about why they could cross or why I can still cross after the jewel of four souls vanished. It's also not like I could walk up to someone and ask them about time travel and the like."

"When will you return, priestess?"

Kagome stops, eyeing Sesshomaru. "Why?"

There she was again, staring at him with suspicion. "What harm would I be to you upon learning the time of your return?"

Kagome relaxes slightly. "I... I don't know. I trusted you to not drop in the sky but we all know how that went down."

It's astounding, to Sesshomaru, how the priestess makes him feel physically drained just through words. "I warned you in advance, priestess. You did not heed my warning and thus were met with consequences. Look onto yourself if you so wish to blame someone for your foolishness."

Kagome stares at Sesshomaru, eyes wide. "Did you just... did you just call me an idiot?"

Sesshomaru walks around Kagome, continuing the path to the well. "Fool or idiot, whichever title is most appealing to you."

' _What an utter jackass!_ ' Kagome screams internally. "Oh, so I'm an idiot for being terrified from your cruel _joke_? Really now?"

"This Sesshomaru does not _joke_." He replies.

Kagome jogs up to his side, pacing her stride with his. Snorting, she places her hands on her hips. "Getting your rocks off, whatever it was, you had no reason to increase our height!"

Sesshomaru spares a glance her direction. "Is that what you have concluded?"

"What other reason would you've had to-"

"Enlighten me, priestess, as to the extent of your knowledge of wind and flight."

Kagome blinks. "I... what?"

"Are you truly a fool?"

Kagome feels her jaw clench. "No." She hisses. "I know that changes in the wind, direction and force, would cause a change in the altitude of a fligh-" Kagome doesn't finish her sentence, remembering how there had been wind that day. She had been so focused on her fear that she hadn't paid any real attention to the wind... hell, she hadn't even tried to rationalize the event. She had gone the emotional route, thinking Sesshomaru had just been acting like a dick. He's related to Inuyasha after all. "But why did you drop me? Couldn't you just have explained yourself?"

Sesshomaru doesn't want to admit that he had been wrong in his approach to disciplining the mortal, but he didn't see another way out of the conversation.

"I know you're a man of few words, I get that, but I would've understood and done my best to bare the flight if you had at least given me a one word response. You really didn't have to drop me out of the sky." Kagome ends with her voice low. "But I'm sorry. I shouldn't have held onto you... I'm sure you're still disgusted by humans."

Kagome imagines that Sesshomaru sees her in a similar way to the manner Kagome sees insects. She can't really blame him for his disgust in humans. She probably stinks to his royal ass-

"I will not discipline you in that manner again. It proved most unsuccessful."

The word  _discipline_ doesn't leave a good taste in her mouth but at least he was apologizing, in his own manner, and promising not to drop her out the sky again. Good. "Well, this is me." Kagome announces as they arrive at the well.

Sesshomaru eyes the outside of the well before peering inside.

"God, I forgot about the suitcases-" Kagome groans as she climbs over the lip of the well and onto the ladder. She descends two steps of the ladder before deciding that she would risk asking Sesshomaru a question she would have never thought she would ask him.

"Sesshomaru, could you help me pull these suitcases out? I would greatly appreciate it." Kagome asks, voice sweet and eyes imploring. If she went down and traveled back to her time, the suitcases would go along with her- probably- and then she would have to do the same ol' song and dance for her next trip; she doesn't want to. It's a long shot, Kagome knows, but damn if she doesn't want to avoid unnecessary heaving. Sesshomaru's a strong and swift daiyokai, what would take her an eternity would take the demon a mere couple of minutes.

Sesshomaru looks at Kagome and Kagome smiles.

Without even gracing her with a reply, he turns his back to Kagome, his long silver hair swaying in the air with the swift action. He takes three steps before pooling a cloud of yoki beneath his feet and taking flight, leaving a dumbfounded Kagome in his wake.

"Yeah, well, I should count myself lucky he didn't lop my head off for trying to make him my mule." Kagome snorts, smiling despite his refusal.

She descends the ladder until she's only a couple of feet off the bottom of the Bone Eater's Well before jumping, closing her eyes as the familiar warmth of energy guides her back home.

 

===== Modern Era =====

 

With a blissful sigh, Kagome slips down to chin-level in her bath tub. "God, what a day." She mumbles with a roll of her head. "I should probably hit the spa sometime soon, huh, Caramel?" The priestess asks the feline curled at the entrance of the bathroom.

"I'll take that as a yes." She smiles.

It has been a long time since Kagome last had a spa day at home, much less one outside of work. The fact of the matter is that with her career as a curator and the recent events in the feudal era, Kagome really didn't have the time to do one or the other. At least a bubble bath would be a nice treat for the time being. She had decided to go with a light vanilla scented bubble bath, something that would smell nice but wouldn't be overly sweet. Kagome may like treating herself to sweets every once in a while but she didn't want to constantly smell like one. What she really wanted was her favorite Rain Forest Fresh but, to her dismay, the shop she frequented was out. She ordered it online and decided between lavender or vanilla.

Vanilla it had been.

Caramel prefers vanilla too.

Kagome raises her left leg out of the tub, pointing her toe out as she absentmindedly stares at the suds and water dripping off her leg and into the tub. She lowers her left leg and repeats it with her right before doing a little shimmy in the tub, smiling as the water sways from side-to-side. She makes a mental note of buying herself a little rubber toy for her bath time.

Nothing wrong with embracing her childhood and taking a few notes from the days when things were so much simpler.

At the sound of her doorbell ringing, she shifts forward- sitting before standing. She shivers at the sudden change in temperature, her nipples beginning to harden. Kagome shivers again as she reaches out to her towel, drying herself in a quick fashion before wrapping the towel around herself and then her bathrobe. She tiptoes around Caramel, apologizing to her feline friend when a few droplets fall on her. "Sorry, sweetie."

But Caramel was one of those unique felines that actually enjoyed water, specifically bathwater from Kagome's body. What a strange little thing.

Kagome switches to her house slippers after a quick drying of her feet before hurrying to her door at the sound of the doorbell ringing for a second time. Well, who would've thought that her meal would have been delivered that quickly. It hadn't even been ten minutes since she called and the restaurant was at least seventeen minutes away. She pities the cyclist and decides to slip the cyclist a little extra for them. "I'm so sorry I was-" Kagome's heart drops to her stomach.

"It seems I came at an inopportune time, Ms. Higurashi." Dr. Saito smiles a fake apologetic smile.

Kagome subconsciously ties her robe tighter around herself. "Dr. Saito, what emergency made you come to my home?" She asks, voice firm and refusing to allude to even the lightest of invitation. Really, she needed to adopt a dog to keep the creep away from her.

Inuyasha could do nicely... or even Sesshomaru. A small smirk forms before she can stop it at the thought of Sesshomaru being a guard dog. She would be killed twice if Sesshomaru ever found out.

"Ah," Dr. Saito chuckles, stepping forward.

Kagome schools her expression immediately but a step too late. Damn, she's sure he had misunderstood her smirk.

"Mind if I come inside to discuss the matter? It's quite chilly outside with it being a little early in spring still."

 _'I would rather eat a stranger's toenails before letting you in my house, you disgusting perverted-'_ Kagome is bumped to the side as Dr. Saito squeezes in, as if her silence had been permission. Gritting her teeth, she closes- but doesn't lock- the door behind her before heading to her bedroom- locking her bedroom door. She moves rapidly; pulling bra, underwear, oversize t-shirt, and baggy pajama pants on and then heading to the living room. She doesn't sit.

"Have a seat, Ms. Higurashi." Dr. Saito offers, as if it were his house. Kagome shakes her head no. "No need to be shy-"

"Dr. Saito, I have things that need attending to and I'm afraid that I don't have leisure time. Please, tell me what important matter you have to relay."

Kagome notices the displeasure in his composure but Kagome doesn't care. She hates seeing the man at work and she definitely hates seeing him in her home. He was filth and Kagome only hopes and pray for the day that she can watch him being exposed... in fact, she hopes she's one of the people that manages to expose him.

"Oh, well, maybe we can talk about this another day? I can surely find a quiet and pleasant place for us to discuss the situation. It's not so serious that it needs to be said now."

Kagome's jaw clenches. Then why in the world was he over at her place at the devil's hour, for heavens sake! He was really starting to push the limits of Kagome's patience. But Kagome was determined to keep her expression schooled, for Minami's sake and for the sake of every other man and woman that the bastard has defiled and forced into a corner... a corner that had forced Minami to take one way out-

"Kagome?"

"Ms. Higurashi." Kagome corrects. "I won't be available any time soon, Dr. Saito and even on normal days I do not have the time to go out and about. I would appreciate it if you e-mailed me at my work e-mail. Now, if there's nothing else, I have matters to attend to."

Dr. Saito sighs, as if that action would garner Kagome's pity. "I won't be seeing you too much at work and thought-"

Kagome's eyes widen slightly with interest. "Why not?"

God, she hopes he's being transferred out or-

"Your hours have been cut."

Kagome is silent, the words of Dr. Saito hanging in the air. "What?" Kagome finally asks after a minute of silence. "Why?" She follows up. "What did I do wrong?"

"I probably didn't phrase that right." Dr. Saito backpedals.

' _My hours have been cut, how else can that be phrased?!_ ' Kagome crosses her arms over her chest, attempting her best not to glare at the trash on her couch.

"You will still be paid for the same hours you work but you won't be present at the museum as often as you are now. Your tasks will shift more to tasks you can do at home because of the whole investigation." He ends bitterly. "You'll still be expected to help with fundraising and doing events and blah blah blah." Dr. Saito makes a repetitive on-and-on motion with one of his hands, clearly not interesting in relaying the message in detail.

Kagome rubs her face with her hands. "We have an event this Friday, you can't tell me that I'm off- I mean," Taking a breath, Kagome takes a seat, far from the man. "I need to be there. Delegation, fact checking, problem-solving- I need to be there. My team needs me."

Hayate was a great team member but he tended to fold under stress. Yuka, or YuYu as they often called her, was strong-willed but with a short fuse. Sebastian, the last member of their group, was a heaven sent for international affairs but he was...  _lazy_. If Kagome wasn't there to reassure Hayate, soothe Yuka, and make sure Sebastian was up and about, the event would crumble and her team would undoubtedly be dealt with in the worse way possible. Kagome would be safe, maybe have to deal with a deduction on her paycheck, but the others would be fired. She couldn't let them be fired. Their field was a difficult one and one you did not want to be fired from. They would be practically blacklisted.

Kagome didn't need another stressor at the moment. God, how was she suppose to handle all of this by dawn of Friday? She has the little hours left of Monday night, and then... what, three days? How was she suppose to coordinate with her team if she couldn't be at work? Meeting outside of work was virtually impossible seeing as how they have their personal lives. Hayate has to limit his work due to his anxiety so Kagome couldn't very well explain the matter to him and meet him outside of work without putting him at risk for an anxiety attack. Yuka's a workaholic, being the financial manager of a restaurant, so that too was out the question. Sebastian... well, he's practically a ghost after work. He doesn't answer his phone, isn't at home... even if Kagome was able to reach him, she can't see Sebastian agreeing to help beyond what's in his contract.

"I would be more than happy to- Jesus fucking Christ what is that?!"

Kagome jumps, the man's voice startling her from her thoughts. "Wha- Oh, that's my cat, Caramel." Kagome smiles slow, noticing the way Dr. Saito retreats into the corner of the couch, legs going up.

Oh, the irony of Dr. Saito being afraid of a little pussy.

Caramel, however, isn't afraid. In fact, Caramel seems to detest Dr. Saito. She hisses, back arching, and baring her fangs.

"Calm that disgusting beast down, Higurashi!" Dr. Saito roars.

Kagome rolls her eyes, noticing that his eyes were on Caramel and not her. "Sorry, Dr. Saito but she's a wildcard. I can't control the poor thing. She scratched me not too long ago, just look." Kagome lifts her left pajama pant leg to reveal a cut, resulting from her shaving... but he probably couldn't tell the difference.

He can't.

"Jesus-!" Dr. Saito scrambles from the couch and makes a madman sprint to the door, barely bothering with his shoes before he's rambling out an excuse to leave.

The sound of a set of beeps lets Kagome know her door is locked. Not giving it a second thought, Kagome picks up Caramel and brings the feline to her chest with a laugh and suffocating embrace. "Oooh, you're such a good girl, Caramel." Kagome coos as she rubs her face against Caramel's. "Yes you are, oh yes you are!"

Having had enough, Caramel meows and places her paws against Kagome's face, turning her own face away. Kagome laughs as she sets her heroine down with rewarding scratches and loving words. "I'm going to buy you some catnip and drizzle bath water on you tomorrow, I promise."

Caramel mews, eyes closing slowly into a blink before she's off to be by herself.

When Kagome is alone again, she makes her way to her bed. She throws herself onto it, curling into herself with a groan.

"I almost wish I was fighting Naraku instead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Comments are always welcome :)


	7. ... It Pours Politics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting these names as a reminder/refresher before each chapter.
> 
> [Western Lands]  
> Lord of the Western Lands: Sesshomaru | Lady of the Western Lands: Sunako [mother of Sesshomaru]  
> [Inu Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Northern Lands]  
> Lord of the Northern Lands: Seto [deceased] | Lady of the Northern Lands: Sei  
> [Ryuu Daiyokai ruled previously, currently Neko Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Southern Lands]  
> Lord of the Southern Lands: Hyousuke| Lady of the Southern Lands: Akane  
> [Vampire/Kyuuketsuki Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Eastern Lands]  
> Lord of the Eastern Lands: Shinobu | Lady of the Eastern Lands: Yama  
> [Tengu Daiyokai ruled]

===== Feudal Era: The Palace of the Sky =====

 

Sesshomaru follows the guidance of the feline demon through the great halls of the Palace of the Sky. He notices that the palace has not changed in decor since the last few centuries ago he visited. The Palace of the Sky has, or rather  _had_ , been under the control of Great Elder Seto and just as the elder had been grand, so too was The Palace of the Sky. The grandeur of the Palace of the Sky was not in extravagance, Elder Seto having not been a man of tastes in the exorbitant, but rather in its ability to convey strength, elegance, and honor with its structure and design. The Palace of Sky consisted of mostly of white and hues of blues, glazed porcelain tiling beneath his heels and vaulted ceilings above decorated with paintings of Chinese dragons. A plethora of archways to his left and right, each with an encased flower hanging above the arches- the flowers taking the place of nameplates that would indicate where the path would lead. Great Elder Seto had explained to Sesshomaru that it was to stimulate the brain, to keep his servants attentive... he also mentioned that he enjoyed confusing his servants by changing the flowers every once in a while. Sesshomaru did not and still does not enjoy Great Elder Seto's form of entertainment, finding it time-consuming and pointless.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" The guide asks, voice soft and head down- averting their eyes from Sesshomaru's form.

Sesshomaru realizes he had stopped following, eyes trained on an archway without a hanging encased flower. "This path is not labelled."

The guide doesn't have to look up. "No, Lord Sesshomaru, it is not." Swallowing hard, they explain. "This will serve as the pathway to Great Elder and Past Lord Seto's entombment."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrow lightly, finding displeasure in how it was dark... void of any touch of Great Elder Seto. "This is a disservice to Great Elder."

The guide immediately kneels, bending at the waist to perform a deep bow with fingertips coming together against the cold tiling- forehead resting against their fingertips. "Forgive our slow pace, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru turns towards the servant, the servant flinching as they hear the movement of Sesshomaru... they feel the Lord of the Western Land staring them down. "W-We're working from within first and plan on ending at the exit of the archway. We are working with great precision and delicacy to ensure his tomb will illustrate the greatness Great Elder and Past Lord Seto was."

Sesshomaru considers the servant's words in silence before turning away to face the archway that will lead to Great Elder Seto's tomb. The hall past the archway is dark, nearly impossible to see where the hall comes to an end and splits left and right. Great Elder Seto had always been a man that favored mornings, basking in the sunlight and taking flight at dawn... the darkness does not suit him, not even in death. "What is your name, servant?"

The guide, not daring to raise their head, answers immediately. "My name is Sakura, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru turns back to the servant. "Rise."

The guide stands, following the proper motion. They raise their forehead from their fingertips first, settling back onto their calves, and placing their hands over their lap. They shift from both knees, onto one, then stand onto both feet in a fluid movement. Keeping their head down, and placing their folded hands against the left side of their hip, they bend at the knees into a small curtsy. "This lowly servant is gracious for the offering of mercy displayed by you, oh great Lord of the Western Lands."

"You will do well to remember my mercy. Next time, I will not be as lenient." Sesshomaru states. "Lead."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." With another curtsy, Sakura continues to guide Sesshomaru.

The remainder of their walk is done in silence, Sesshomaru casting glances every once in a while to take in the porcelain vases and the designs that each is decorated with. Often, he is greeted by the servants bustling about attending to their tasks. Each servant, whether alone or in group, stand at the sides upon seeing him- from the sides they bow their head lightly to avoid looking upon his form and perform a greeting curtsy; lightly bending at the knees with their hands folded over the left hip bone. He ignores the welcomes much like he does at his own palace.

"We have arrived, Lord Sesshomaru." Sakura states as they come to a halt at double doors, easily reaching forty meters (131 ft). It's about half of what the vaulted ceilings reach.

Of the two large dragon-designed knockers, the servant grips one of the rings with both hands. They raise the ring, displaying some effort in executing the action, and allows it to fall before stepping back and placing their hands, folded one over the other, over their abdomen. They bow, stating their name and position before announcing Sesshomaru's arrival.

"Allow him in." Comes Elder Sai's voice.

Sakura straightens. They swiftly spin, a full circle, ending with the palms of their hands against both knockers. Fueling their yoki into the knockers, and with a short and swift incantation, they press forward. The double doors shine briefly, golden, before giving entrance. Sakura stands aside, dipping into a quick curtsy before extending the arm nearest the entrance towards the room. "Please enter, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru enters, hair rising lightly and swaying from the winds in the room. The double doors close behind him, shining golden before sealing themselves again.

"Ah, so nice of you to finally join us, ay?" Comes a cheerful voice.

Sesshomaru doesn't answer the demon lord, barely acknowledging him with a glance.

"Tell me, dear, has Lord Sesshomaru always been such a bore?" Comes an almost equally cheerful voice, teasing. "I know we're not exactly friends here but the least you can do is humor us a bit in such dark trying times." They release an exaggerated sadden sigh.

Sesshomaru can barely contain a snort in displeasure.

"Now now, behave you two." Elder Sai intervenes from her head position at the long table. "Lord Sesshomaru, please have a seat."

Sesshomaru takes a seat to the left of the table, taking one of the two vacant seats. Across from him sit Lord Shinobu and Lady Yama, Lord Shinobu having been the first one that had spoken and Lady Yama the second. Rulers of the Eastern Lands and forever grating to Sesshomaru. To Sesshomaru's right are Lady Akane and Lord Hyousuke of the Southern Lands. Sesshomaru has not interacted much with the Lands of the South but even with his limited knowledge of the two, he's aware of their infamy and grandiose power. To his left sits Elder Sai, the head of the long table.

"Well, now that we are all present, let us hear your offer." Comes a voice, that to others, could only be described as tantalizing; smooth and soft.

"Certainly, Lady Akane." Elder Sai smiles.

Straightening in her chair, Elder Sai begins. "The documents entailing the situation and terms of agreements in detail have been distributed accordingly and should arrive by midnight tonight. We are all aware of the problem at hand so there's not point in playing a cat-and-mouse game."

Lord Shinobu snorts. "No offense, Elder Sai, but I really don't give a rat's ass about what's going on. I'm handling my own well. Why would I throw myself into a pool of exhausting politics for some hand-holding? You don't have anything that interests me either so you can't bribe me onto your side."

Lord Hyousuke responds, voice rich and equally seductive as his mate. "I doubt someone of such low intelligence would be capable of surviving long in the world of politics."

Before Lord Shinobu can reply, Lady Akane adds. "You would be doing us a favor by withdrawing your unwanted assistance in the matter."

Next to Lord Shinobu, Lady Yama snorts a laugh. Lord Shinobu glares at his mate and she shrugs. "You hurled yourself into that one."

"Alright, pretty boy-" Lord Shinobu slams his hands on the table and leans towards Lord Hyousuke.

Lord Hyousuke flashes Lord Shinobu a smirk, red eyes twinkling with amusement. "Careful, Lord Shinobu. If you desire to engage me, I cannot promise that I will be able to restrain my excitement."

Lord Shinobu smirks back. "Ya can't get your head out the gutter for more than two seconds, huh?"

Lord Hyosuke breaks into a small smile, far from warm and comforting but before he can reply, Sesshomaru intervenes. "I have no interest in listening to this nonsense. Elder Sai, take hold or I will take my leave."

"Yes yes." Elder Sai sighs. Truly, the younger demons are more of a challenge than the elders... perhaps even more challenging than the council members. "Lord Shinobu, under your rule and the rule of Lady Yama, your lands have flourished. That being said, I have noticed that there has been a decline in the population of demons beneath you. Lady Yama, you have mentioned a decrease in the human population as well as the supply of weaponry they provide you with."

Lady Yama nods her head, eyes on her hands as she picks at non-existent dirt beneath her claws. "All true. It's been a pain in the ass to deal."

Lord Shinobu scoffs. "Less of a pain than having to put up with these vamps." He growls, sticking his thumb in the direction of Lord Hyousuke specifically.

"Still upset about your previous defeat to Lord Hyousuke, I see." Lady Akane whispers, amusement clear in her voice, before she takes a sip of her drink.

"Let me level with ya, sweet cheeks," Lord Shinobu snarls, ending on a smirk upon noticing Lady Akane's displeasure from the nickname. "I don't lose, especially not to a bloodsucker." He stares Lord Hyousuke down.

"Would you like another round, Lord Shinobu?" Lord Hyousuke offers. "This time I can leave you with a reminder of your defeat, since it appears your memory has failed you. Yes," Lord Hyousuke hums, standing. "A scar would do you nicely."

Having had enough, Elder Sai flares her yoki- slamming both Lord Hyousuke and Lord Shinobu into their seats. "Enough!" Comes her voice, booming.

Lady Yama shrinks back into her seat, hands folding on her lap. Lady Akane sets her drink down and lowers her gaze to the table.

No one speaks.

Elder Sai narrows her eyes on Lord Hyousuke then Lord Shinobu before speaking. "Lord Hyousuke, it seems like you enjoy poking and prodding needlessly. Would you like a go at me? I promise, you've riled me up plenty."

Lord Hyousuke offers an apologetic smile, unmoving otherwise as he's held down by Elder Sai's yoki. "Forgive me, Elder Sai. I would never dream of crossing swords with you."

With a snort, Elder Sai focuses on Lord Shinobu. "Lord Shinobu, my offer extends to you as well."

"Apologies, Elder Sai." Lord Shinobu bows his head. "I was outta line."

"Yes, you both were." Elder Sai growls, eyeing both lords. "Let's get one thing straight here, alright? I'm not as patient or forgiving as Great Elder Seto had been and I promise you that won't be changing any time soon. If you want me to set an example, I'm more than happy to take volunteers."

Silence.

"Good." Elder Sai nods. "Now, this is a meeting, not a battlefield. We will use our words. If anyone has a problem with that, speak now and I will be more than happy to educate you."

Silence again.

"Very well." Lord Hyousuke is first to speak. "I shall share first." He glances at Lady Akane, noticing the way she relaxes as Elder Sai retracts her yoki. "It has become difficult to control the undead. Our connection to the netherworld has been all but severed. As if that were not terrible enough, we have started to see our own turn against us... and not of their own free will."

Each of the daiyokai at the table notices the way that Lord Hyousuke relays the last information. Lord Hyousuke has been forced to slay those under his command, subjects that had been loyal and useful but corrupted and turned. He was diminishing his own army in an attempt to protect said army.

"So we weren't the only ones." Lady Yama frowns. "A few weeks ago," She begins to elaborate. "We created a new sword. It had been a standard sword, weak and void of yoki. It was meant to be used for training and sparring- friendly matches... but one sparring match turned into a bloodbath. One of our best swordsmen had... had been corrupted. By the sword. My love tried to bring him down," Lady Yama smiles lovingly at Lord Shinobu. "But he came into contact with the sword."

Lady Yama doesn't have to look up to know the other daiyokai are surprised by the admission. Tengu are well-known for their weaponry, for their specialization in combat with weaponry, so for one- especially a Tengu daiyokai - to be affected by a sword meant to have been plain.. safe... it was startling to say the least.

"He did his very best in resisting but I noticed it was a battle he was losing." Lady Yama pulls the left sleeve of her kimono up, revealing a black and red-streaked scar winding around her forearm and pulsing.

Lady Akane is the one to comment. "Oh, dear...." She breathes.

"I managed to break the connection between the corruption and Lord Shinobu but I was infected, as you can see. We have seen the best healers but all that can be done is control the spread. I've been weakened greatly." Lady Yama releases her sleeve. "I don't know how long I can fight this. I don't know when I'll succumb to the corruption."

Silence.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Lord Hyousuke speaks. "It seems you are aware of something we are not."

Sesshomaru stares at Lady Yama, specifically the infected limb, but doesn't speak.

"And you said we are the difficult ones." Lady Akane whispers, returning to her drink.

Elder Sai looks over at Sesshomaru. "Lord Sesshomaru, anything you know can be helpful."

"What will I gain in turn for sharing what I know?" Lord Sesshomaru speaks. "Words are meaningless but knowledge is power."

Lord Hyousuke smirks. "Oh, I like the way Lord Sesshomaru speaks. Wise words from someone so young."

Lady Akane nods but the Rulers of the East don't seem to agree.

"Birds of a feather flock together, huh?" Lord Shinobu snarls. "Never thought I would have met someone more disgusting and dishonorable-"

"Watch your tongue, Lord Shinobu. I will not warn you a second time." Lord Sesshomaru interrupts. "You are a fool if you expect to be handed power on a silver platter." He lectures.

"We expect fair treatment." Lady Yama frowns. "All four of us gave you information-"

"Information that I was either aware of or information that is useless to me." Sesshomaru interrupts again.

"What is it that you desire, Lord Sesshomaru?" Lady Akane asks, eyeing the daiyokai with interest.

Sesshomaru notices the way Lady Akane watches him, as if she were attempting to slither her way into his very core. He flares his yoki in warning, finding her small hum of sadistic pleasure disgusting. Vampire demons are dangerous, even to a daiyokai... he's aware that he needs to be on his guard or else he could very well be undone. Lady Akane runs a clawed finger around the rim of her drink, eyes sliding over to her cup to watch the motion. "Quite defensive, are we not, Lord Sesshomaru?"

Lord Sesshomaru narrows his eyes on the demoness. "I am more than capable of demonstrating myself offensively, if you so wish it."

Lady Akane laughs, eyes closing slowly and landing on Sesshomaru when they open. "As tempting as that sound, I don't think I should upset Elder Sai... although, Lord Sesshomaru, I would not mind taking your invitation for another time."

"Lord Sesshomaru," Elder Sai speaks, drawing his attention from Lady Akane. "You want a temporary agreement, am I correct?"

Sesshomaru gives a light nod. "Yes, Elder Sai. A traditional contract of alliance is a lengthy process and time is not on our side, hence, I desire a temporary contract until the proper documents can be dealt with."

Lord Hyousuke nods in understanding. "This is true... however, what will this temporary contract entail?"

"A temporary truce." Sesshomaru begins, having already conjured of a temporary contract throughout the meeting. "We will be prohibited from acting upon the grounds of foreign land. We are to follow and obey the rules upon entering foreign lands and will require permission before venturing in, less it be an emergency. All old and new information regarding the current situation will be shared between all. Such information should be treated as of utmost importance."

"Sounds simple enough to me." Lord Shinobu nods. "What's the consequence for breaking the truce?"

"It will be in the hands of the Lord or Lady." Sesshomaru states. "The punishment, however, should be within reason."

"And whose definition of _within reason_ are we to use?" Lady Akane smiles, dark.

"That's where I come in." Elder Sai speaks up. "Torture and execution will not be just punishment, regardless of which part of the truce is broken."

Lady Akane frowns lightly at the restriction. "What a pity... torture is such a lovely way to extract information." Her eyes slide to Sesshomaru briefly, focusing back to Elder Sai when Sesshomaru narrows his eyes on her.

"I will also like to add that punishment of servants are to be handled strictly by the servant's lord and lady." Elder Sai adds, noticing the loophole in Sesshomaru's truce. "Anything that appears as questionable will go through me and the council before a verdict is decided."

"Sounds fine by me. If that's what it takes for Lord Sesshomaru to share his information, why not?" Lady Yama sighs, clearly not wanting the meeting to continue more than it needs to. "Play nice, 's all."

"Then, allow us to create the contract. After all, who better to handle blood-related matters than a vampire daiyokai?" Lord Hyousuke stands from his seat, walking to a nearby bookshelf filled with empty scrolls. He picks one before moving across the room to fetch an inkstone, an inkstick, an ink brush. Lord Hyousuke hands the scroll and supplies to Elder Sai so she can transcribe the contract onto the scroll. Once written, each lord and lady reviews the contract before it ends in Lord Hyousuke's hands to commence the blood truce upon the contract.

He slices the palm of his left hand open, blood twisting and turning into shadow-like tendrils. The wound closes leaving only five tendrils beneath his left thumb and fingers. He places his left hand on the scroll, four of the tendrils stretch to the four corners of the scroll while the fifth curls at the center- connecting the four to the center. "Very well, now we-"

"Yeah yeah, we cut our palms and place it at the center and we're bound by the blood contract, blah blah blah." Lord Shinobu rolls his eyes. "It's not our first time, show-off."

Lord Hyousuke hums. "It is simple enough to create a blood contract but... I suppose you lack in many ways, Lord Shinobu."

"You cocky little shit, you really like egging me on, huh?" Lord Shinobu chuckles menacingly.

"Enough. I want to hear what Lord Sesshomaru has to say." Lady Yama intervenes, practically pushing Lord Hyousuke aside to place her mark on the contract.

One by one, each lord and lady signs the blood contract with Elder Sai being the last to sign the contract. She is the one to seal the contract and store it away, creating a protective barrier around the scroll for added protection. When she returns to the long table, Sesshomaru begins to share his information. He recounts his encounter with the strange pillar of light and the black and red-streaked demons he faced. Sesshomaru's retelling is brief, to the point, but he relays all information he believes to be relevant to the situation at hand. 

"Ah, you must be speaking of Priestess Kagome." Lady Akane smiles.

Sesshomaru notices the way that Lady Akane takes interest in the priestess.

"The very one that shattered the Jewel of Four Souls?" Lord Hyousuke chuckles. "My, if that mortal does not live an exhilarating life."

"You're telling me a priestess was able to break through this barrier but a daiyokai couldn't?" Lord Shinobu scoffs in disbelief.

"You must not know much of Priestess Kagome." Lady Akane laughs softly. "She is no ordinary priestess, Lord Shinobu. Tales of her adventure paint her as possibly stronger than Priestess Midoriko."

At that, Lord Shinobu barks a laugh. "Who knew that bloodsuckers could be so humorous? As strong as Midoriko? Yeah, and I'm ten times stronger than Great Elder Seto."

Lady Akane gives a light shrug of one shoulder. "You have Lord Sesshomaru, before you very eyes, explaining to you that this priestess was capable of doing what he could not and yet you think her an average priestess? Surely, your ignorance knows no bounds."

"Lady Akane, behave yourself." Elder Sai warns. "He is right to suspect the capabilities of this priestess. Who truly knows what this priestess is capable of?"

"Besides, that's not really our concern." Lady Yama frowns. "This tear in space, the one mentioned by Lord Sesshomaru, is capable of sealing away ones soul to who knows where. That's...." Lady Yama winces, hand going over her scar. "Alarming."

"Yeah yeah," Lord Shinobu rolls his eyes. "Against humans. We don't have proof of what it can do to one of us."

"And do you plan on finding out for us, Lord Shinobu?" Asks Lord Hyousuke.

"Yeah, in fact, I had the great idea of throwing your ass into one of those pillars of lights, see if it fries you to a crisp." Lord Shinobu smirks a fanged smirk.

"You seem to have a fascination with asses, or could it possibly just be mine alone?" Volleys Lord Hyousuke.

At that, Lord Sesshomaru stands. "If that will be all, Elder Sai, I will take my leave."

He refuses to be in the presence of two lords bickering away like children. He has more important things to tend to... and quite frankly, he's not sure of how long his patience will last in the face of the other lords. He truly detests the political aspect of ruling... at least the part in which he has to interact with the other lords and ladies of the lands.

"Wait!" Lady Yama speaks, leaving the table and walking around to Sesshomaru's side, the train of her kimono dragging behind her. "I'd like to speak to you, preferably away from this noise." She gestures at the long table where Elder Sai rubs at her temple as the two lords continue their back-and-forth, much to enjoyment of Lady Akane.

"What is it that you wish?" Sesshomaru asks, not wishing to speak in private with Lady Yama. He's not wary of the Lady of the Eastern Lands but he has no interest in engaging in a private conversation that will, undoubtedly, drag.

"Right." Lady Yama sighs, deciding to move towards the furthest window from the long table. If she can't speak in another room with Lord Sesshomaru then the least she can is speak as far as possible from the noise at the long table.

"I want you to use your poison to get rid of this scar." Lady Yama says, straight to the point and raising her sleeve to present Lord Sesshomaru with the infected forearm.

Sesshomaru likes that the woman is straight to the point but dislikes her manner of demanding his assistance.

"And in turn, whether you're successful or not, I will be in your debt."

At that, Sesshomaru decides that it wouldn't hurt to consider her proposition. One, Lords and Ladies hold great yield over the mortal and immortal worlds. While he does not seek power not obtained by his own hands, there are other interests of his that would be easier to achieve if he were to use the extended reach of Lady Yama. Knowledge. Yes, books and scrolls and artifacts for his mental enrichment. Second, taking into consideration that it would be a delicate task- Sesshomaru would spend time in the Eastern Lands and by spending time in the Eastern Lands, he could potentially learn more detail in regards to the situation. Of course, they had created a blood contract but he was aware that it would not hold true to the more minute details. Sesshomaru also prefers to do his own research. Finally, if Lady Yama were to succumb to the corruption then that would become a problem for two reasons.

First problem would be the loss of an ally and, considering the gravity of their current state, that would a more than unfortunate loss. The second problem would be the affect it will have on not only her subjects but Lord Shinobu. An enraged and grieving Tengu is no different than coming face-to-face with death. That would mean the loss of two allies and the Eastern Lands left without rule. While Sesshomaru would not admit it, choosing to not assist Lady Yama would be no different than committing suicide.

"You are foolish to believe that my poison will not cause you harm." Sesshomaru replies.

"Trust me, Lord Sesshomaru, I know I'm gambling with my life here; but you and I both know that I'm dead if I don't do something. You said that your poison eliminated the black substance that had come in contact with your hand. That's what I'm basing my gamble on." Lady Yama looks at Sesshomaru's hand. "I'll send you a formal invite so we can discuss this on my lands, hopefully soon."

Sesshomaru gives Lady Yama a nod in agreement. "Ensure that you inform Lord Shinobu. If he attacks in your defense, I will not hesitate to defend myself to the extent that I see fit."

Lady Yama laughs. "Always so serious, Lord Sesshomaru. I assure you that it will not reach that point."

Sesshomaru turns on his heels, not having more to speak upon, and makes his way to the double doors of the room. When he comes within a couple of feet of the double doors, they pulse gold before opening to him. The prior servant, that had been tasked with guiding Sesshomaru to the meeting, curtsy in greeting.

"Please, Lord Sesshomaru, allow me to escort you out."

Sesshomaru gives permission with a light nod.

"This way, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru follows the servant through the same path he had traveled before, mind elsewhere as sorts through the never-ending problems at hand. Rin's soul is of utmost importance... but that could not be attended to without first localizing the soul and, that, he has no manner of knowing how to do. He now has an allegiance of sorts to be mindful of, it already becoming a bother seeing as he would have to treat Lady Yama's corruption... else the allegiance comes undone. He has the carelessness of Lord Shinobu to blame for Lady Yama's infection... and Lady Yama's foolish devotion to the Tengu Daiyokai.

"M-Milord!" Comes a cry.

How long had Sesshomaru been lost in his thoughts? Apparently long enough for them to have made it outside to the Garden of Tranquility.

Having had enough conversing for a lifetime, Sesshomaru pools his yoki beneath his feet and takes flight upon his cloud of yoki. Jaken cries his lord's name, begging him to wait for him, as he scrambles upon Ah-Un to follow after.

 _'Politics....'_ Sesshomaru thinks with disdain.

This situation could not be resolved fast enough.


	8. Rush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buddies, let me tell you this; this one was exhausting and confusing to write haha~ but it's finally here and now I'm so exhausted that I feel like disappearing for a month to hibernate (I kid, finals won't let me do that lol). Enjoy!
> 
> I will be posting these names as a reminder/refresher before each chapter.
> 
> [Western Lands]  
> Lord of the Western Lands: Sesshomaru | Lady of the Western Lands: Sunako [mother of Sesshomaru]  
> [Inu Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Northern Lands]  
> Lord of the Northern Lands: Seto [deceased] | Lady of the Northern Lands: Sei  
> [Ryuu Daiyokai ruled previously, currently Neko Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Southern Lands]  
> Lord of the Southern Lands: Hyousuke| Lady of the Southern Lands: Akane  
> [Vampire/Kyuuketsuki Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Eastern Lands]  
> Lord of the Eastern Lands: Shinobu | Lady of the Eastern Lands: Yama  
> [Tengu Daiyokai ruled]

===== Modern Era: Kagome =====

 

Through gritted teeth, Kagome tries to explain exactly how it's more than just an  _inconvenience_ for her workplace environment to suddenly change from her office to home.

"I understand your frustration, Ms. Higurashi-"

_'Oh, I don't think you do or else you would've patched me through already!'_ Kagome screams internally the words she wished she had the courage, and financially stability, to say outright.

"-but the fact of the matter is that Director Ueno has his hands tied." The secretary explains.

"I _know_ that," Kagome practically seethes. "But he has to know _someone_ with waggling fingers that can make an exception this one time."

She has been going back and forth for nearly the past hour about how she, Kagome, needs to be present at her workplace for the upcoming exhibition. The secretary, from the very beginning, had been unwilling to bend or even investigate if it were possible to make an exception of sorts. It was a pointless volleying of words but the world be damned if Kagome would go down without a fight.

The secretary sighs, exasperated, and Kagome pulls the phone away from her ear to stare at it in utter disbelief. Did the secretary just sigh?

Kagome rolls her eyes, frustration reaching new levels.

"Ms. Higurashi, let me put you on hold-"

"No! Look, last time I was put on hold I was disconnected-"

"Thank you," Comes the recording, "For holding. Here at-"

Kagome chucks the phone at the couch across from her, grabs a couch cushion beside her, slams her face into it, and screams her frustration out as she falls back onto the couch. She rolls onto her stomach and releases a string of muffled curses, damning her rotten luck and the invention of the hold option.

Caramel comes to the living room with the intent to investigate the source that had woken her from her nap. She finds her master on the couch, screaming. Deciding that enough is enough, Caramel leaps onto Kagome's back and meows to get her owner's attention. It works. Kagome stops screaming out her emotions and looks over her shoulder at her cat, smiling. "Hi sweetie, did I wake you up?"

Caramel mews, rubbing her head against Kagome's cheek. Kagome melts.

"Thank you, girl, I needed that." Kagome sighs, almost moved to tears from the affection.

The feline mews again before leaping down into an elegant and soft landing before padding to her bowl of food and water.

"You're right, Caramel. Life goes on. Instead of wallowing away or screaming myself hoarse, I should be active about this, right?" Kagome rolls onto her back to sit up on the couch, leg swinging over and off the couch. She stands up, smile bright as she stretches her arms above her head. "First thing? Contact my team, let them know my situation but assure them that I will work my ass off to make sure everything goes smoothly. I have to be gentle with Hayate, hard on Sebastian, and pray I don't overwork YuYu... or rather make sure she doesn't overwork herself to the grave."

Kagome fetches her tossed phone from the other couch, bringing the tip of it to her chin as she thinks of a way to break the news to each of her coworkers. Yuka, or YuYu rather, is easiest. Kagome knows a text message will be the best way to reach her so she walks to her bedroom to use her cellphone to send Yuka a quick message explaining the problem. It's no surprise to Kagome when she receives a quick reply, YuYu sending a beautifully expletive-colored sentence about corporations and assuring Kagome that she can be counted on.

Perfect.

Sebastian is next and it takes Kagome nearly a conversation of thirty minutes of bribery to get Sebastian on board. Kagome makes a note to add salt to Sebastian's coffee after all this is over.

Next.

Knowing about Hayate's social anxiety, Kagome decides to text Hayate. The conversation is a little over ten minutes, mostly due to Hayate's concern for Kagome; constantly asking if Kagome is okay and if there's anything he can do to help her. After calming Hayate and reassuring him that she has everything under control, Kagome is finished contacting her team.

By the will of the heavens, and the year's remaining luck, she's able to make a reservation for four tonight at a nice restaurant nearby.

"What would I do without my little cheerleader?" Kagome asks Caramel, phone going to the phone receiver on her walk to Caramel. She offers Caramel a gentle scratch under the chin that Caramel appreciates. "Well, now that that's handled, I need to go through a couple of checkups."

"You don't think they would do major last minute switches, right?" Kagome asks Caramel, eyes wide with worry. "Think about it, Caramel, if they switch name plates then it means switching an entire artifact case... which, you know, is fine if it's a small artifact but what if it's one of our set collections?"

Kagome envisions herself having to run around like a headless chicken, hauling about like a mule-

The thought is all Kagome needs to make a decision.

"Oh god, I better go through the entire list to be sure." Kagome walks back to the phone receiver, nearly knocking the phone receiver off its place when she yanks the phone off. She punches the number of the first museum in works with The Tokyo Museum of Historical Artifacts and begins, "Hello, this is Curator Kagome Higurashi and I'm contacting you to make sure everything is in order for the exhibition scheduled for this Friday night. If you could give me a list of the- oh, yes. Yes, that will be artifact number 363," Kagome nods as she scrambles to her room to fetch her little cheat-cheat black book where her list of artifacts are listed. "Yes, that's the Oni Mask of Sayuri."

She spends the remainder of her day crosschecking once, twice, and thrice with the information on her spreadsheet. She sends her coworkers the information, keeping them updated with what had been altered and Kagome's plan of action to deal with the few sudden changes that had taken place. Thankfully, the changes had been of small artifacts and their placement at the exhibition or a wrong delivery address, all thankfully caught before they could become a bigger problem.

A break from her tasks reminds her of her reservation... a reservation that she will be late for unless she speeds through a shower. Kagome doesn't have the time to wash her hair so she opts for a half-empty can of dry shampoo, applied with great difficulty as she attempts to pull on a pair of white slacks on while spraying the top of head. It doesn't work, of course, without great consequence. Her right foot lands on the bottom portion of the left pant leg just as she yanks her slacks up. The unsuspected resistance causes Kagome to lose balance. She flails with a yelp of surprise and horror, attempting to regain balance, but the added jerking motion only throws her body into a half-spin before she crashes down. Kagome doesn't go down alone, oh no, her flailing arms manage to sweep the dresser top clean. The loud thud of her fall is followed by a groan of pain.

She lays belly down, for a moment, with her slacks beneath her butt cheeks. Her black wavy hair is sprawled around her head, and an array of fallen items around her body. She asks herself why this is her life. Had she not done enough in her past life and current life to deserve a few grace points or is she doomed to forever be the clumsy woman she is? Kagome rolls onto her back, immediately regretting the action when a bottle of perfume digs into her back. She arches her back off the ground, using her feet flat on the floor and her shoulder blades to bridge up, and swats the perfume bottle away before laying back down on her back. She grips the waistband of her slacks and shimmies to pull the pants up over the curve of her buttocks and up a little ways above her hips. Once there, she zips and buttons her slacks.

Well, she has her slacks on and it only almost killed her. Not bad for her.

She opts for a wine-colored dress shirt with ruffles down the center. She accessorizes with oval opal dangle earrings, opting for simplicity, and finishes with a pair of black pointed block heeled shoes. She's not steady enough on her feet to risk a thin heel.

Sure, she can slay hundreds upon hundreds of low-level demon without batting an eye or so much as forming a bead of sweat but heavens forbid she attempts to take a step in thin heels. Kagome doesn't know if she would somehow end up with a compound fracture or a snapped neck, and she doesn't want to find out.

She looks herself over in her standing mirror as she attends to her wavy hair. She switches between combing the knots out with a comb and combing products in with her fingers. Not having been the one to really apply much to her hair, preferring its natural wavy texture, she finishes swiftly and moves onto gathering her purse after a light application of makeup. Kagome stuffs her cellphone, house keys, a couple of candies, and pepper spray into her purse with one hand while the other hand holds onto her heels. "Sorry for the mess, Caramel. I'll clean it up as soon as I return, 'kay?" Kagome tells Caramel as she, Kagome, tiptoes around the mess made from her fall.

Caramel had entered the room, no doubt from interest in the sound of Kagome falling. Really, it shouldn't be interesting to Caramel seeing as how Kagome tends to bump or fall about as much as she breathes.

"Mew." Caramel speaks, following Kagome out the room.

"Don't worry, I filled your bowl of water and your bowl of food- but not too much because I noticed you putting on a bit of weight." Kagome smiles apologetically to Caramel. "But I guess that's my fault too for not exercising you enough."

At the genkan, Kagome switches from her house slippers to her heels, sparing a moment to blow Caramel a kiss before she's rushing out her apartment.

 

===== Modern Era: Restaurant =====

 

"Ha, pay up." Sebastian laughs, hand out with his palm up in YuYu's direction. "Fifteen minutes late."

Kagome looks between the two as she arrives to the table, catching Sebastian's words. She sits across from YuYu, taking the seat next to Sebastian. Kagome smiles in greeting to Hayate, he returning her warm smile with a shy one of his own. "What's going on?" Asks Kagome.

Slamming bills into Sebastian's hands, YuYu replies. "We had a bet on how long it'd take you to get here."

Kagome blinks. "You guys bet on me being late?"

"We did." Sebastian gestures to YuYu and himself. "Hayate thought you'd be on time so we didn't let him bet." Sebastian shrugs. "Would've been easy money."

Kagome blows at her bangs. "Well, it's good to know that _someone_ here has my back."

"Hayate's just an optimist while Sebastian and I are realists." YuYu smiles, frowning when Sebastian waves the winnings in YuYu's face.

"Look at that, 2,000 yen richer." Laughs Sebastian.

YuYu kicks Sebastian under the table, grinning when Sebastian curses low and releases the bills. His hands go under the table swiftly to rub and hold the kicked area. YuYu swipes the 2,000 yen from the table with a smirk, waving the bills in Sebastian's face. "Why, thank you for returning it. What a gentleman."

Sebastian grumbles in his mother tongue, something along the lines of witches and due day.

Hayate smiles, looking down at his lap. It's strange to explain, how someone like him with social anxiety, could find comfort in the back-and-forth of his coworkers. He can't explain it, the warmth and sense of security he feels with them but nonetheless, he's thankful. He believes that the others feel the same. While Sebastian normally isn't one to socialize for pleasure's sake, he seems to seek it within their small group. YuYu, while a short fuse and though she often goes toe-to-toe with Sebastian, does it in good nature. Kagome, to Hayate, is the glue to the group- she knows how to bring them together. Really, Hayate couldn't be more grateful.

"Hey, pretty boy is blushing." Sebastian chuckles. "Thinking something you shouldn't with Higurashi all dressed up?" He teases.

Hayate goes beet red. "N-No, o-o-of course not!"

Kagome slaps Sebastian's arm. "Leave him alone, jerk."

YuYu hugs Hayate against her. "Besides, he's mine."

The group falls into laughter at Hayate's flustered state, hands covering his face as he stammers an unwarranted apology.

They make light conversation before and after they order, continuing until their meals arrive. When the meals arrive, they eat as they converse about the issue at work and exactly how they will handle the change.

"'S weird, 's all I'm saying." Sebastian says around a mouthful.

Kagome pokes at her lobster with her fork, frowning at the turn their conversation has turned. "It's true though. I got the e-mail explaining in sleep-inducing legal jargon why I wasn't allowed to work on-site. Pretty much, my experience is biting me in the ass." She takes a small sip of her sake before continuing. "They expect me to be able to handle on-site work off-site because I'm such an 'experienced and crucial employee of The Tokyo Museum of Historical Artifacts' and then there was a paragraph praising my great accomplishments and-."

"A lot of ass kissing basically." Sebastian snorts a laugh.

"But it is true, Kagome. You're the most qualified curator we have." Hayate whispers.

Kagome smiles kindly. "Thank you Hayate but I wouldn't be where I am without you three."

YuYu groans. "Enough rainbows and unicorns or I swear I'm going to hurl all over the table."

Sebastian wrinkles his nose in disgust. "Jesus, are you trying to ruin my appetite?"

YuYu shrugs. "Hey, more for me. It's not everyday we can afford a King's meal."

Hayate laughs softly.

"So," Kagome claps her hands to get their attention. "I sent everyone a copy of the new schedule, which artifacts will be shifted about, and the VIP guests we will be expecting. There will be three new artifacts so make sure you read up on that and we'll have to rearrange some of the displays-"

" _We_?" YuYu points her fork at Kagome, smirking. "You think you're sly, huh?"

Kagome smiles sheepishly. "Yes?"

Sebastian sighs. "God I wish I were in your shoes. In fact, I think the majority of people would wanna be banned from work and still get paid."

Kagome rolls her eyes. "Okay, Snorlax, first I am not _banned_ from work. I'm working from home. Secondly, I'm still doing the same amount of work, if not more. How is this better?"

"Napping at home." Sebastian says.

YuYu snorts. "You can sleep when you're dead. You should be enjoying life, not sleeping it away."

"What, like you? You're working yourself to death. It'd probably do you some good to follow your own advice. When was the last time you went to the park and existed in the moment?" Sebastian asks before popping a peace of lobster meat into his mouth.

"Parks are nice." Hayate whispers, nodding in agreement to Sebastian's words.

"Nah, I get all itchy when I'm not doing something. Working _is_ relaxing to m-"

Kagome jerks forward, head nearly slamming into her plate, before she jerks back. It takes her too many seconds to realize that her chair is being jolted about. The table, the plates, her co-workers-

"Earthquake!" YuYu shouts, grabbing Hayate and dragging him under the table just as Sebastian does the same with Kagome.

They huddle together, each person grabbing a leg of the table as the earth beneath them quakes. Kagome thinks that, within a few seconds, the shaking will subside or at least lessen but time doesn't seem to negatively affect the earthquake. There's another jolt, stronger, and Kagome hears a scream in the direction of the kitchen. She swallows hard, hoping no one is gravely injured. Another jolt. Kagome bumps against Sebastian and Hayate against her, YuYu curses under her breath. 

"What the hell kind of earthquake is this?!" YuYu shouts over the screams of the other patrons. "Jesus Christ, this whole building is gonna come down on us-"

Kagome flinches, pressing against YuYu when something crashes down on their table. Thankfully, the table doesn't give. "Shit, we're gonna have to move somewhere else. This table isn't going to keep holding." Sebastian advises, voice loud enough to be heard over the other customers.

Hayate nods slowly. "I-I t-think t-the b-b-bac-"

A tremor knocks Hayate forward, thrown from under the table and face first onto the restaurant floor, legs still under the table. Sebastian curses, scrambling forward to pull him back in, when Hayate's body is dragged out the rest of the way and yanked up.

Kagome's heart drops, a familiar sense of alertness seeping deep into her bones- chilling her to the core. The movement had been too fast, his body dragged and lifted far too easily. But it's the modern era. It shouldn't be possible, it should not occur beyond spirits- nothing as strong as this. Kagome's hope and denial come crashing down when horrified and panicked screams fill the restaurant... at the death of Hayate.

Kagome hears the sound of tearing, a sob of a cry, and bone giving way under pressure. There's the sound of gurgling and the familiar sound of flesh tearing. A portion of Hayate's small intestine smack loudly onto the floor in a pool of blood and his large intestine. Beside her, Sebastian strings nonsensical profanity between breaths of shock while YuYu grips Kagome. Kagome doesn't need to look at YuYu's face to know the poor woman is in shock. Kagome should be too, she should be screaming her head off or trying to run away- getting herself killed in the process, but it would be consider a _normal_ response. She has been desensitized from such events, or rather she has the ability to postpone processing gruesome deaths until after she's safe. Now is no different... even if the victim is someone dear and close to her. Later, she will grieve.

When the youkai lowers itself over Hayate's corpse to continue devouring its meal, the demon's eyes fall on Kagome. Now, from experience, Kagome knows that a demon feasting is still a very dangerous demon. One would expect a demon to focus on its meal but, no, a feasting demon is practically euphoric from the high of the kill and will undoubtedly want to continue its streak. So, needless to say, the second the demon spots her and her other two coworkers; Kagome is ready to react. The demon grins, slow and wide, with pieces of Hayate between sharp teeth and a chunk of intestine impaled on one of its canine.

Kagome acts.

She throws herself over YuYu while simultaneously kicking Sebastian away with all the force that she can manage in her adrenaline-fueled state. Luckily, the kick is strong enough to get Sebastian out of the demon's clawed swipe and with YuYu beneath her, all three are unharmed. Well, mostly. The swipe had taken out two of the table legs and brought the table down on them. Kagome curses as she pushes the, thankfully, light and small table off them and at the demon, managing a bit of a burst of her spiritual energy against the table top to temporary stun the demon and knock it off its feet. With the small breather, Kagome tugs at Sebastian and YuYu. Unsurprisingly, they're both in shock- eyes on Hayate's corpse. With the flickering overhead lights of the restaurant, they're able to see the damage done. Hayate's lower jaw had been ripped out along with his throat, leaving the trachea half-intact. His lower abdomen had been the focus of the demon. To put it into perspective, Hayate's lower abdomen looks much like the plate of a toddler eating spaghetti and meatballs, with the spaghetti being intestines and the meatballs the organs. It's a mess of chunks.

Beside her, Sebastian vomits everything he had eaten while YuYu shakes as she stares into Hayate's dead eyes.

The demon stands with a roar, throwing the table top into the ceiling as it leaps onto its feet. The demon locks its burning and pissed yellow eyes on Kagome and Kagome feels a shiver of panic travel up her spine. Right, she's dealing with this demon without weapons in a spiritually exhausted state. For the cherry on top, she's in the modern era in the middle of an unnatural earthquake in a restaurant setting with shaken coworkers and other equally shaken patrons. It really could not get worse.

But, of course, fate loves proving her wrong as many times as it can.

A thundering of feet takes both the demon's and Kagome's attention away from each other and to the crowd of customers attempting to bolt out of the restaurant through the back, windows, and some even through the front door... which is really a terrible idea to Kagome seeing as how the demon is at the front of the restaurant.

"Wait, stop!" Kagome yells, hands up in warning, but her voice isn't heard... maybe from the sounds of the people or maybe their panic-induced state doesn't allow them to hear her warning.

The demon leaps into the crowd of people, claws tearing into flesh like a hot knife through butter. Kagome tries to get the demon's attention but the demon seems more interested in the crowd than in her.

"K-Kago... H-Hayate-" YuYu mumbles, pointing a shaking finger at Hayate.

Kagome grimaces. "YuYu, I need you to be strong. We have to get out of here, we have to help-"

Another hurl from Sebastian has Kagome wincing and looking over at his direction. He's in no better condition. Well, it isn't as if Kagome was going to try to recruit YuYu and Sebastian to help her deal with the demon.

Kagome crawls over bodies, shards of glass becoming embedded into the flesh of her palms, as she searches for a knife or fork she can use as a projectile for the demon. The flickering lights makes it hard for Kagome to see anything for more than two seconds and by the time the lights flicker back on, the tremors have already jolted the cutlery away form her. She'll settle for a plastic spoon at this point.

"P-Please, n-no, I-I have a son and a husband-" Kagome hears a woman plea to the demon. "P-Plea- hrargh!"

Kagome's eyes flicker up in the direction she heard the woman's voice, in time to see the light flicker on above the woman. The demon had taken the woman's head into its jaw and the woman was frantically slapping at the sides of the demon's head, sobbing hysterically. Kagome sees the woman's husband, holding their son to his chest, as he too pleas and cries. The son, cries for his mother with his face pressed against his father's chest. Kagome knows what happens next. As her search for a weapon grows more frantic, she hears the woman's skull give under the strength of the demon's jaw.

The husband shouts his wife's name before breaking into sobs... sobs that end abruptly. Kagome hears the cries of the child stop... and then the sound of flesh tearing and bone breaking.

Three more gone.

Kagome crawls to the bar, eyes burning as tears threaten to spill over. She can't cry. She has to be strong, for one, and secondly, her vision is already impaired enough with the flickering lights.

"No! No!" Comes the sound of a young man before he, too, is devoured.

Another.

Two.

Five together.

One elderly.

Kagome decides that she can't keep with her blind hunt and decides on risking close combat. She grabs a large shard glass, the sting of the glass cutting into her palm not felt as adrenaline pumps throughout her system. She stands on shaky legs, one hand grabbing onto a table for balance as the earth rolls beneath her feet. When the lights flicker on, Kagome's eyes jump to the demon. She locks onto his aura as she releases the table and grips the glass shard with both hands. She waits for the lights to flicker off and then on again before sprinting in the direction of the demon.

Her path is obstructed by piles of body, young and old, but she manages to weave through with the assistance of the lights above. As she sprints in the direction of the demon, she flows her spiritual energy into the glass shard as best as she can- considering that it's a glass shard and she's exhausted from her previous two battles- until she reaches the back of the demon. She plunges the glass shard into the demon's back, the other end of the glass shard sinking into her palm as well. The demon roars as her spiritual energy makes contact, seeping into him and-

Kagome goes flying across the restaurant into a wall. Her body bounces off the wall from the impact before swiftly crashing down to the floor. Kagome gasps, mouth wide with eyes tightly closed as pain explodes from her back throughout her body. She curls into herself, slowly, while struggling to open her eyes. Her vision is a blur, the world still suffering the effects of the earthquake. Not good... not good at all. She wishes she could spare a few seconds to get herself put together, at least enough to see more than blurred objects, but it's a luxury she cannot afford. Kagome didn't know how right her train of thoughts were until she's yanked up into the air and looking down into two blurry yellow eyes.

Stabbing a demon in the back with a spiritually-imbued shard is probably as good an idea as fighting off an enraged bull with a twig.

The demon growls deep and Kagome, in her exhausted state, has half the mind to growl back mockingly.

When the demon snarls at Kagome, inching her closer to its mouth, a wooden table leg comes crashing down against the demon's back. Kagome, hands gripping the demon's wrist to lessen the choking hold of the demon's hand around her throat, peers over the demon's shoulder to her rescuer... and is surprised to YuYu holding a broken table leg. She's shaking from head-to-toe but with a fierce determination in her eyes.

"L-Let h-her go, you ugly son-of-a-bit-!"

Kagome gasps YuYu's name when the demon smacks YuYu away with its tail- a tail that Kagome hadn't noticed before. Maybe that was how she had been sent flying away too. Deciding not to have YuYu's surprise attack be in vain, Kagome grabs at the demon's face and expels her spiritual energy into her hands. The demon screeches and immediately drops her, swatting at the air with one hand and holding its face with its other. Kagome scrambles, in her dazed state, towards the exit of the restaurant. She thinks she's pissed the demon off enough for it to be focused on and, boy, is she right.

The demon nearly lands on her as Kagome stumbles out the restaurant, the rolling earth beneath her feet helping her for once.

Pedestrians jump back from her, some screaming when they see her disheveled state matched with blood on her white slacks. They all scream, however, when they notice the reason for Kagome pushing through in her mad run. The demon is on her tail, leaping from car roof to car roof in his chase of her. Just Kagome's luck that it's not a wholly dumb demon.

Kagome stumbles to an abrupt halt when fate decides to give her yet another present. A pillar of light. It's the same yellow she had seen in the feudal era and when she stumbles against it, hands making contact, it feels the same as it did in the feudal era. A barrier. Kagome ducks, feeling the demon's aura spike behind her. The demon crashes against the pillar of light as Kagome cuts into an alleyway to escape. When she makes it out the alleyway, she's greeted with absolute mayhem. On the other side of the street were strings of pillar of lights, each with a open horizontal tear inside of it... from which demons were appearing out of.

That's... also not good.

The people run in panic, cutting into the streets and crawling inside, over, and out of cars to avoid the demons.

A snarl behind her reminds Kagome of her own peril. She ducks and stumbles away from the demon's charge before commencing her run to the well.

She needs Inuyasha. She's no damsel in distress but she knows when she's in over her head. Kagome won't be able to fight and defend against an army of demons- sure there's also the bit about exposing herself as a human with supernatural powers to her government and the rest of the world but she hopes that her saving the world will be enough for her to get a freebie out of any experimental situation they could try to drag her into... and if not? Well, there's always living in the feudal era for the rest of her life.

Kagome cuts into another alleyway, joy bubbling beneath as she catches sight of the shrine not too far away. Another five minutes and she would be-

Kagome slams into a pillar of light, stumbling back and falling flat on her ass. She curses herself and the pillar of light as she scrambles onto her feet only to hit the pillar of light. It takes her pressing against the pillar of light and feeling around herself to realize that pillar of light had fallen on her, trapping her. The joy she had felt earlier crumbles into dread, blood running cold. "No, no no no- oh god, Inu-" Kagome presses against the pillar as she begins to rise.

Her spiritual energy sputters out into sparks as Kagome tries and tries the same technique she tried in the feudal era... but she's exhausted spiritually.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay. You got this, Kagome."  Kagome tries to reassure herself when she notices the signs of hyperventilation settling in.

Her eyes catch the demon from the restaurant several feet below and Kagome thinks that at least she has one thing less to worry about. She's proven wrong when the demon begins to scale up the pillar of light to an opening about ten feet below Kagome. That doesn't calm Kagome's nerves.

Once the demon is inside, and the pillar of light closes the small entrance, all hell breaks loose. Kagome yelps when the demon shoots up to her and slashes at her. His claws catch the upper half of Kagome's left arm. Thankfully, the slash hadn't been deep. Kagome kicks the demon away with both feet, hand going to clasp over the wound. Blood seeps through her fingers and it makes Kagome think that maybe the wound is deeper than it feels, after all she does have adrenaline deadening the pain of her multiple injuries.

The demon pushes against the wall of the pillar of light with its feet, propelling itself towards Kagome with claws at the ready. Kagome kicks herself up and over the demon with the help of the wall of the pillar of light to her back. She raises the hand of her injured arm up, concentrating her spiritual energy out into a short blast that sends the demon against the the barrier and down a couple feet.

With the short breather it grants her, Kagome looks up at the sound of a soft breeze blowing to find a horizontal tear opening above her. Her panic doubles... just as the demon kicks off the wall to her. It grabs at her wrist with one hand and at her neck with the other. Kagome plants her hands against the demon's face for a second time but the recent injury to her arm makes it a challenge for her to do more than just push weakly against the demon. She gasps when the demon tightens its hold on her throat, snapping its jaws at her as it tilts its head to her throat.

"I-Inuyas-" Kagome struggles, eyes watering as it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe. She feels her lungs and chest burn, her attempts to free herself all futile.

She sees the black tendrils seeping out from the tear, forming into tentacles just how it had occurred in the feudal era. Kagome thinks that if she has to decide between being eaten alive or having her soul pulled from her body, that the latter is the way to go.

Now, Kagome considers herself to be a strong woman. She has faced death a multitude of times and had never once cried but the thought of dying alone, having her soul locked up somewhere for how long, is more than enough to spill a few tears from her eyes. She hangs her head, giving into her fate, as she's pulled apart from the the demon and pulled upward. She hears the demon snarling and growing at having its prey ripped from him.

Kagome feels a humming deep within her that grows hotter with each passing second. When the tentacles seep into her flesh, Kagome releases small pained moans as the tentacles attempt to grab hold of her soul and extract it. It seems like a difficult task as an extra set of tentacles join the group of tentacles already hard at work on her. Kagome's head falls back, body going slack while an almost burning heat rushes throughout her body. Her soul is fighting back, Kagome is vaguely aware of this, but she's losing consciousness far too quickly. Whatever opening her soul gives her, she won't be able to take advantage of if she's out cold.

Her eyes slide over to the demon when it releases a snarl followed by guttural sound like nothing she has heard before.

The demon breaks free.

Kagome slams against the barrier when the demon pounces on her, pressing her against the wall of the pillar of light as she continues her ascent. The tentacles jerk her upward into the tear, the demon coming along with her. Kagome slips into the void, strength slowly returning as the demon swipes at the tentacles- obviously pissed at them. Kagome grits her teeth against the cuts the demon makes on her flesh as it blindly claws away the tentacles. Her adrenaline can only do so much to deaden the pain.

As much as Kagome appreciates the unintentional help from the demon, it doesn't seem to effective- seeing as how each tentacle slashed away is almost instantly replaced by one or two more... and with more strength. Deciding to focus on her surrounding, Kagome takes a look around- ignoring the growls and snarls of the demon as it is captured and freed in an endless loop. The void is... exactly that. It's almost wholly black with the exception of pulsing red...  _light_? Kagome remembers the same red marking on the globular and emaciated demon she had fought in the feudal era. Better not touch it.

She scans the void, trying to see if she can get a reading of sort. If the demons are appearing from the pillars of light then it stands that there should be another exit, or entrance, that leads to wherever they're being transported from. Thinking of transportation, Kagome realizes that the void feels... vaguely similar to the flow of time of the well. It feels less concentrated but Kagome can still feel flickers of what she can only describe as  _time_. Not bad for a reading.

Kagome places her hand over tentacles, concentrating on the familiarity of it. She's taken back when the tentacles slowly, but surely, began to unwind from her. It takes Kagome an immense amount of concentration to remove one but it's progress and Kagome sends a silent prayer to the heavens for giving her a way.

The demon goes feral, well... more than it already had been, upon realizing that its meal was escaping.

It breaks free, charging at Kagome. Kagome tries to wiggle out of its direction but without anything to push herself against to change direction, and being held by tentacles, she can only wait for the impact.

It comes.

Kagome spins out of control until she's under one arm of the demon, in a crushing hold. She uses the pulsating red streaks of the void as a source of light to see exactly what the demon's plan is. The same as before, Kagome realizes when she sees the demon clawing away the endless tentacles heading in their direction. By the looks of it, the demon isn't the only one that had enough. The void, as a whole, begins pulsating. The tentacles, previously used only for capture, target the demon in aggressive offense. They pierce the demon's wrist and ankles before circling around and pulling the demon... Kagome along.

Well, that spells trouble... or death.

Kagome tries concentrating but the jolts of the demon makes it impossible for her. New plan. If the void is going on the offense, then she will too. Her spiritual energy spikes once, twice, and third time before she's capable of expelling a burst of energy to separate herself from the demon- the tentacles pulling her up. The demon, stubborn as hell, grabs her by the ankle. Its claws dig into her ankle, drawing a curse from Kagome.

"Let go!" Kagome kicks at the demon's clawed hand with her free foot as it tries to scale up her body. "Hey! Get your dirty hands off my legs-" Kagome yelps when a clawed hand goes over one buttock. She beams red as she stomps down on the demon's face, her block heel going into an eye socket. Kagome wrinkles her nose at the sound it makes and feeling of the demon's eye giving.

It howls in agony, Kagome crying out when the demon's claws dig deep into her ankle. The void pulses again, this time with a gust of wind that sends Kagome and the demon spinning uncontrollably. Thankfully, Kagome didn't have much to eat at the restaurant or else they would be floating in a space full of vomit. "Stop attacking me, can't you see the void hates violence?" She yells at the demon, as if it could understand her... or maybe it can?

The demon releases a series of growls and snarls that Kagome intercepts as it telling her off. "Well, up yours too buddy!" She snaps back.

The demon swipes at her, catching her thigh in a shallow cut. Cursing, Kagome digs her heel in deeper into the demon's eye socket. Of course, the void pulses in protest once more, this time beginning the creation of a tear and dragging her into the direction. Kagome sees the little glimmer of light and her heart swells with hope once more. When she gets to the feudal era, she's going to make sure Inuyasha hacks the demon away to little pieces.

If she doesn't lose consciousness first.

It's really a miracle she manages to stay awake as long as she had. She had exhausted herself spiritually, a first for her, after fighting in two demanding and strange battles. Now, she had done the same in another battle but this time weaponless and on her own. She's now struggling to just keep her eyes open. It could very well be that she will be in heaven the next time she opens her eyes, or worse... she'll open her eyes to see herself being eaten alive. Heavens, she hopes it isn't the latter.

All she can really hope for is that Inuyasha will be there when she reaches the other side... or really anyone capable. She hadn't thought about how the void isn't like the well, that it has a set place to transport to and fro. The void could very well send her across to a far away city or even a completely different time. Really, waking up undead is beginning to sound more and more like her fate... but she keeps hope.

"Inu... Inuyasha...." Kagome whispers, envisioning his long flow white hair and gold eyes.

 

 

 ===== Feudal Era =====

 

"M-Milord, please wait for this loyal servant!" Jaken continues to beg in shouts as Ah-Un trails far behind Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru having had a head start and not caring to slow. "Please, milord, I know you don't like politics but why must your loyal and dependable servant suffer your ire?"

Sesshomaru casts a glare back at Jaken.

Jaken immediately scrambles for an apology. "I-I mean t-t-thank you m-milord for being so considerate and allowing me to ride Ah-Un, hahaha...." The little imp laughs nervously, visibly relaxing only when Sesshomaru turns his attention ahead.

"M-Milord, may I ask where we- h-haaaah!" The imp screams as a thunderclap erupts throughout the area. "W-Wha-?" Jaken stammers, eyes looking at the sky behind them. "What strange-?"

The imp's eyes widen at the sudden and small flash in the sky, in the far distance behind them. He narrows his eyes, attempting to get a better view, as his little hands grip the Staff of Two Heads tightly. The flash happens again, this time with the appearance of what Jaken believes to be a human body. Falling through the sky. "M-Milord, you won't believe-!" Jaken squawks in surprise when his lord flies past him, nothing more than blur to Jaken.

"Milord, please, wait for me!"

 

===== Feudal Era: Sesshomaru POV =====

 

Sesshomaru recognized the scent instantly as that of the priestess. It was her blood, heavy upon her person, and the death of many mixed with her own scent that alerted him of the situation of the priestess. Her scent at first had been light, coming in at the same time as the thunderclap, and he had been unable to gather information beyond the fact that it had been her scent. The first flash, he had detected behind him, allowed him to read the yoki of a demon- low class and not worth Sesshomaru's time. The second and final flash, however, gave him all the information needed to know what had occurred between the yoki and the priestess and the precise place of their presence.

He had not expected for the priestess to fall from the sky, but then again he seemed to be surprised many times recently. This, Sesshomaru believes, is not a good thing. A warrior should rarely be surprised and always know how to adapt accordingly.

Upon reaching the priestess, arrival swift, he takes hold of her with his mokomoko-sama. He notices her wounds, the blood seeping through her clothing in several places. He is also able to detect her weak spiritual energy, barely a flicker.

"M-Milord, wh- oh! It's Inuyasha's woman!" Jaken comments upon reaching his lord's side.

A vicious snarl from above has Jaken tightening his hold on the Staff of Two Heads, eyes staring in horror at the demon descending fast upon them.

Sesshomaru doesn't spare it even a mere glance as, with a flick of his wrist, he slices the demon in half- floating back to avoid the blood shed from his kill. Jaken praises Sesshomaru, as if Sesshomaru needs praise for dispatching such a low level demon.

But now that the demon has been eliminated, he is left with a priestess in his care.

"Milord? What do we do with her?"

Sesshomaru looks up into the sky, catching sight of a black horizontal tear slowly closing. "Question the priestess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the arms of a demon sounds a lot better than in the arms of an angel, especially if that demon is Sesshomaru. He's still very much cold and rough around the edges but he wouldn't be Sesshomaru if he weren't a tough cookie, huh?
> 
> Comments are always welcomed and a great motivator, so please do leave your lovely comments of feedback, gushing, and critique- predictions are welcomed too~


	9. The Palace of Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting these names as a reminder/refresher before each chapter.
> 
> [Western Lands]  
> Lord of the Western Lands: Sesshomaru | Lady of the Western Lands: Sunako [mother of Sesshomaru]  
> [Inu Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Northern Lands]  
> Lord of the Northern Lands: Seto [deceased] | Lady of the Northern Lands: Sei  
> [Ryuu Daiyokai ruled previously, currently Neko Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Southern Lands]  
> Lord of the Southern Lands: Hyousuke| Lady of the Southern Lands: Akane  
> [Vampire/Kyuuketsuki Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Eastern Lands]  
> Lord of the Eastern Lands: Shinobu | Lady of the Eastern Lands: Yama  
> [Tengu Daiyokai ruled]

===== The Palace of Earth: Kagome =====

 

Kagome's eyes open slowly. The first thing she's aware of is the pain. A lot of pain. She doesn't think there's an inch of her body that isn't screaming in pain. Though, considering what she had gone through the past couple of days, she thinks it could be a lot worse. In fact, if she has to compare the pain to another it would be a mixture of bad menstrual cramps and post-workout aches. It's not pleasant but it's not exactly a pain that she needs morphine to deal with. She counts herself lucky, as well, to even be alive.

Hayate hadn't been lucky.

A lump forms in her throat as emotions flood her. Hayate had been a good person. He had been sweet, considerate, polite, and one hell of a friend. Kagome had spent nights with the young man, either cheering him up in his lowest points or vice versa. Memories of warmhearted conversations pull on her heartstrings, almost bringing her to tears. Hayate had dreamed of settling just outside of Tokyo, with a dog at his side and a few close friends. Hayate had told her that he had found his close friends, his coworkers, and Kagome had been his first and most precious best friend.

"Hayate...." Kagome whispers, tears finally falling.

She remembers his eyes, once so full of hope and kindness, how they had been so cold... dead. She remembers not being able to save him. She remembers not being able to give him a swift and painless death.

How much had he suffered? How long had he been alive while that demon ripped into him?

"Lady Priestess?" A soft female voice asks, hesitatingly.

Kagome's eyes slide to the direction of the voice, left.

"Are you in terrible pain, Lady Priestess?" Asks a second female, also standing to Kagome's left.

Kagome blinks in confusion. ' _Lady Priestess?_ '

Right, that would be her. "I'm... fine?" She replies, confusion clouding her answer.

"She must be confused." One of the two female states.

"Lady Priestess, you are in the Palace of Earth." Answers the other female, proudly.

Kagome, once again, blinks in confusion. "I'm... sorry? That-" Kagome winces as she sits up slowly with the help of the other woman. "That doesn't- I don't where that is."

The two women share a look of astonishment, as if were it common knowledge to know the Palace of Earth.

Maybe it is.

"You do not know what the Palace of Earth is?"

Kagome frowns, looking between the two women. She takes in their Ming Dynasty attire. They both dress in light purple pleated skirts, length more than enough to cover their footwear. Their upper garment, white in color, is decorated in a familiar crest along the collar. The cuffs of their sleeves are also designed with the crest that is familiar to Kagome- from where she remembers it, she doesn't know. Their hair is done up with simple yet beautiful hair ornaments. At their left hip dangles a braid, a jade ornament with Chinese characters defining their position. Kagome has never really been the best at reading Chinese characters so she can only guess that they mean something along the lines of palace maid, what rank she isn't too sure of.

Well, Kagome can only guess that the void had spat her out in some time in the Ming Dynasty at the emperor had been gracious enough to take her in to be tended to instead of having her beheaded on sight. Really, when she had first come to the feudal era, Lady Kaede and the villagers had tried to exorcise her... so it really isn't far-fetched for her to believe that the emperor would have her killed just for her attire. Then again, an emperor knowledgeable of demons and an emperor employing demons surely wouldn't feel threaten by a woman in strange garb.

The elf-like ears and the clawed hands of the servants are the only giveaway to them being non-human.

Sure, if Kagome wasn't in such a poor state she would have been able to detect their demonic energy right away but she's finally reached the bottom of spiritual energy exhaustion.

"Lady Priestess?" One servant asks.

"Kagome." Kagome offers a small smile, sitting back in her bed. "Please. What's your name?"

The servant bends at the knee, hands neatly folded over her left hip, with her head lowered. "Priestess Kagome, I am but a mere palace maid, unworthy to have her name spoken by one so great."

Kagome blinks. "Oh uh- please, don't-" Flustered she tries to help the servant up but the other servant acts swiftly, sitting Kagome back on the bed.

"Please, Priestess Kagome, don't move. You are greatly depleted in your spiritual energy and your wounds have not healed."

Kagome sighs with a light nod. "Thank you but... I don't like this." Kagome gestures at the servants.

The second servant follows the first servant, bending at the knee and lowering her head with hands folded neatly over her left hip. "We apologies for being of distaste to you, Priestess Kagome. We have offended-"

"Oh, god, no no no!" Kagome quickly interrupts. "Please, uh, r-rise?" Kagome says in half a plea and half ordering, tapping into her knowledge of period dramas. "Listen, you two are great, lovely young-" Probably forty times older than Kagome. "-women. I'm not upset with either of you just... the royal treatment? Really, I'm just your average girl."

The two servants share a look. "But, Priestess Kagome, stories of your greatness paint you otherwise."

"Yes, Priestess Kagome, you are far from ordinary. The fact that you fought alongside our great lord and that he brought you here to recuperate- there is no one that would even dare fathom such a thing. To paint you as some commoner would be a disgrace to you and to our great lord."

Kagome blinks. "Your... great... lord? He's not an emperor? Wait, where exactly am I?"

"The Palace of Earth." Repeats one servant.

"She doesn't know what that means." Scolds the other servant, nudging the other with an elbow.

"Yeah, I don't." Kagome frowns. "Who brought me here? And you said I know this lord of yours?"

"Yes, Priestess Kagome. He is Lord Sesshomaru, ruler of the Western Lands and the Palace of Earth."

At that, Kagome's eyes widen. She grips the silk sheets over her lap and takes another look at her surrounding. Surely they're mistaken because... well... because they have to be. One, Sesshomaru isn't the type to just... _help_ someone. Then again... he had defended her a multitude of times... and they had agreed that they would join forces to bring Rin's and Kohaku's souls back. Okay, well, so that sort of checks out. However, Sesshomaru doesn't own a palace... does he? Kagome remembers him constantly being addressed as lord by Jaken and Rin but she had always believed it to be a title of admiration steeming from the power he wields... not that he would actually be something akin to royalty? Okay, so that also checks out.

"Priestess Kagome?"

"Right, right, uh... right." Kagome brings the sheets up to her chest, realizing only then that she had been changed out of her clothing and- "Oh god, did Sesshomaru undress me?"

The servants gasp, for two reasons. One, the priestess hadn't used an appropriate title when addressing their lord and two Kagome had insinuated that their lord would dare task himself with such a lowly act. Of course, Kagome doesn't understand this as she continues in her panic state to blather on about her embarrassment at being exposed.

"Lord Sesshomaru would never do such a thing, Priestess Kagome. Such an act is beneath him, and please do address him by his title." A servant says, smiling apologetically.

"Oh... right. _Lord_ Sesshomaru." Kagome emphasizes the title with narrowed eyes and lips pulled back into a grimace. She's really only trying the title but the servants are left uneasy at her expression. "Lord Sesshomaru. Lord. _Loord._ " Kagome frowns.

That will take some getting use to.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru." One of the servants smiles.

Kagome nods, beaming at the sound of approval in the woman's tone. It sounds strange to Kagome, to refer to Sesshomaru as a lord, but if the servants approve of it then she surely must be saying it with the right amount of... royal air?

"Okay, so rule number one is address him as Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagome smiles. "What're the other rules?"

Kagome realizes her mistake too late when the servants begin to tell her just that in a swift tag-team style lesson. Kagome manages to catch bits and pieces, most surely mixing rules together, until the two servants reach rule fifteen where Kagome's brain shuts down. Upon realizing this, the servants apologize and cease to tell Kagome the rules of the palace.

"H-how many rules?"

"84 standard rules with additional rules depending on one's station, Priestess Kagome."

Kagome stares wide-eyed. "84? Standard? So I would need to kno- okay, nevermind." Kagome exhales heavily through her nose. "What uh... what are the basic basic rules? Like... the rules that will get me beheaded if I break them?"

The two servants giggle as if Kagome had told a hilarious joke of sorts. Kagome isn't joking.

"You should always be respectful to your superiors, that is a must." Begins the servant with a silver and pink hair ornament. "Since you are an honored guest, Priestess Kagome, there are very few above you. In fact, only Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Sunako are above you."

Kagome can't help her voice coming out in a shock of surprise. "Sesshomaru is married?"

The servants gasp. " _Lord_ Sesshomaru." They remind in unison.

"Right, right, _Lord_ Sesshomaru." Kagome smiles apologetically. "He's-"

"Without mate."

"Then-?"

"Lady Sunako is the mother of Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome releases a small 'ah' of understanding. "So, uh, Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Sunako are above me?"

"Yes, there are high ranking officials, certain generals for example- that will outrank you but you will have little contact with them. In fact, they have asked very little of you in the past three days."

"I've been... I've been unconscious for three days?" Kagome asks, worries suddenly crashing down on her.

Well, with how she left the modern era, her job isn't an issue. It's not like she would be fired during a demon apocalypse for failing to show at Friday's exhibition. Her family normally doesn't worry when she's gone for a lengthy period- knowing Kagome is in the feudal era... but that's where the situation gets worrisome. Inuyasha would worry not hearing from her and would travel to the modern era to investigate. Kagome's hope is that Inuyasha will be able to make it in time to defend her family... if the demons had targeted the shrine, that is. The demons didn't seem to have a set goal in attacking any specific one person or thing, which is more than  _just_ concerning. Kagome had placed talismans to protect the shrine against the potential attack of low class demons, mostly to humor her grandfather, but she suddenly finds herself hoping that the talismans are able to hold.

"I have to go." Kagome says suddenly, slipping off the bed and standing on weak knees. Her legs give under her almost immediately but the two servants manage to catch her before she falls. They sit her on the edge of the bed, both frowning with concern.

"Priestess Kagome, you must move slowly. Your body is still recovering."

"My family-" Kagome whispers, head spinning.

"Lord Sesshomaru instructed us to inform you that he is handling communication with your family."

At that, Kagome raises her head to look at the servant that had spoken. "What? How?"

The servant frowns lightly, wondering why exactly the priestess is asking the form of communication. "I assure you, Priestess Kagome, that the information has long reached your family. It would not take even half a day for news to reach your family, we were informed."

Kagome hunches over, drawing worried calls of her names by the servants- probably thinking Kagome was going to faint. No, Kagome has to think over what Sesshomaru's words mean. Sesshomaru can't travel through time so he wouldn't be able to relay the information directly... nor can Kagome imagine him doing so even if he were capable of traveling through time. So, how-

Contacting Inuyasha? Well, wouldn't that be even less likely? Kagome chuckles at the thought of Sesshomaru writing a letter explaining the situation, sneaking in an insult or two about Inuyasha's intelligence.

"Priestess Kagome? Your laughter is... concerning."

Kagome blinks her eyes open, falling on the worried looks of the servants. Right, Kagome probably looks like a madwoman switching between nearly feinting and laughter. "Sorry, I was... never mind." She waves a dismissing hand, smiling small. "Am I allowed to take a walk? I should get my body use to moving about, even a little bit, right?"

In fact, Kagome's true intention is to escape when the two servants let their guard down. Kagome is weakened, yes that much is true, but she's still quite capable of giving two servants the slip. She'll send Sesshomaru a thank you basket or two for not only bringing her to his palace but having people tend to her and allowing her several days of rest, but she can't lay idle any longer.

The two servants share a look of worry. "We're not sure, Priestess Kagome, you are still terribly weak."

"I know but a little bit of walking with the two of you will do me some good. See, the mind of a human is weak." Kagome begins her tale of lies. "It's very fragile. We need stimulation to keep us mentally healthy. It's even more important for a priestess."

The two servants stare in awe. "I think I have heard of the frail mind of humans needing constant stimulation."

"Yes, I have heard that some even die if they go longer than a week without sunlight." Gasps the other servant.

Kagome nods in agreement, silently thinking about where exactly they had gotten such wild misconceptions. For once, she thanks ignorance.

"We can escort you, Priestess Kagome, to the nearby garden. Will that suffice?" One servant asks.

Kagome nods lightly. "That sounds perfect."

 

===== The Palace of Earth: Lord Sesshomaru =====

 

"Lord Sesshomaru, servant Fu requests an audience."

"Enter." Orders Sesshomaru at the announcement, setting one scroll down before unfurling another to tend to.

"Yes, my lord." Speaks his servant.

Sesshomaru hears the sliding of his study doors, opening and then closing, followed by the light steps of his trusted guard, Fu. Fu turns left into the study, bending at the waist in greeting to his lord. "I bring an update on the priestess' condition, my lord."

"Hn." Sesshomaru replies.

Fu understands this as permission to continue. He straightens. "Her deepest wounds have mostly healed and the servants tending to the priestess have not seen any signs of possible infections. The priestess, however, has been greatly weakened and will require a longer period of rest until she is capable of traveling on her own. Physician Xian advised this, stating that the priestess will be incapable of defending herself against even lesser threats."

"What is the estimated recovery period?" Asks Sesshomaru, eyes fixated on the scroll in his hands.

"It could be up to one week, my lord." Fu relays. "Her spiritual energy has been greatly depleted due to improper technique and consistent use of improper technique."

Sesshomaru signs the scroll currently being tended to before returning to the previous scroll. "The priestess has awaken." He states.

Fu nods. "Yes, my lord. The priestess has currently been taking to the Garden of Peace for a short walk. Would you like me to send her your way, my lord?"

Sesshomaru doesn't answer immediately, focusing on the scroll in his hands. He has been spending the last couple of days tending to the handful of paperwork needed for the alliance between the four lands to be put into motion. For the most part, Sesshomaru trusts Elder Sai in fair treatment so he isn't truly concerned with whether the document is fair to him in regards to rewards, restrictions, and role but he does have to behave otherwise so the lords and ladies of the other lands do not presume him to be naive. He hates politics, even if he has an eye for it.

"The walk to my study will be taxing to the priestess in her current state." Sesshomaru states, going through another scroll. "I will visit the Garden of Peace."

"Very well, my lord. Will you like an escort?"

"Your accompaniment will suffice."

Fu nods. "Yes, my lord." He walks backward out of the study room and to the entrance to stand in waiting until his lord is ready to visit the Garden of Peace.

 

===== The Palace of Earth: Kagome =====

 

"And your name is SuSu?" Kagome asks from where she's seated on a wooden bench. "That's a pretty name." She says to the servant with the silver and pink hair ornament. "You're Tong?" Kagome smiles. "That's a pretty name too."

The two servants blush, bowing their head. "Thank you, Priestess Kagome." They say in unison.

SuSu and Tong had been very difficult to have open up, at least about their names, but Kagome's determination won it out of them. "See, isn't it better for me to call you by your name instead of servant? Servant just sounds so... demeaning."

SuSu and Tong gasp. "Heavens, no!" They both kneel upright, hands clasped together- one above the other- with their heads bowed. "It is of the most grandiose honor to serve under Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome smiles apologetically. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything bad by it. I... well, things are different at my... home?" She says, cautiously.

"You mean to say you do not have servants from where you are from?" SuSu raises her head, fully rising along with Tong at Kagome's plea for them to rise.

"It must be human humility." Tong presumes. "Human and demon humility differ, SuSu."

SuSu nods. "True, but wouldn't a priestess of high standing require at least a few students that would serve under her?"

Kagome chuckles. "I'm not really a priestess of high standing and I don't think I'm the best to teach anyone-"

"Her humility knows no bounds." Tong whispers, astounded. Beside her, SuSu nods.

"Guys, please, I'm not being humble or anything. I promise. It's just not normal where I'm from to have servants." Kagome explains, vaguely. "We have workers that we pay, just like you, but we don't call them servants."

"Oh-"

"Lord Sesshomaru approaches, present yourselves." Comes a masculine voice, slightly deep and commanding.

SuSu and Tong immediately curtsy, bending lightly at the knees with their hands neatly folded at their left hip. They bow their heads lightly, body still as a statue. Kagome, unsure of if she should follow, decides to give it a try.

There is no need for that, Priestess Kagome. Remain seated." The man speaks.

Kagome doesn't argue. She had been reminded by the servants that rules should be followed and the last thing Kagome wants is for head to roll because she decides to get sassy.

The man that had spoken appears first. He's tall, very tall, Kagome notices. He's dressed in an elegant hanfu, tailored for a warrior, of white and the same crest the servants' clothing are adorned with. His eyes are a deep piercing green with specks of silver. They're beautiful, Kagome thinks, but they're equally as chilling. His black hair long, passing the demon's hips despite it being worn in a high ponytail. His high ponytail exposes his elf-like ears. Like Sesshomaru, the demon's bangs part at the middle of his forehead but unlike Sesshomaru- the demon's forehead bares no mark. Kagome wonders why certain demons have markings and others don-

"Greetings, Lord Sesshomaru." The two female servants greet as Sesshomaru enters, walking center when the other demon stands aside.

Sesshomaru lightly waves a hand, dismissively, in the direction of the two female servants. They bow lightly before shuffling backwards and out the garden, leaving Kagome with Sesshomaru and an unknown demon.

"Sesshomaru-" Kagome begins but stops immediately when the unknown demon snaps his attention to hear, and reprimands her.

"You will address his lordship accordingly, priestess. Show respect to the great demon lord that saved you."

Kagome flinches, not from fear, but from surprise at the demon's deep and chilling tone. "I didn't mean... I didn't mean to disrespect him." Kagome whispers, eyes sliding to Sesshomaru briefly before they fall on her lap.

And to think that she had recently whacked Sesshomaru's shin with a basket and now she can't even address him without a title. The realization makes Kagome uneasy. It's true that she knows little of the man that is Sesshomaru so she shouldn't be too surprised to learn that he's someone great and powerful, someone titled, but out of all the things she could have expected to learn from Sesshomaru- this isn't even on the 'astonishing' list, more so the unimaginable list.

"Fu, leave us be." Sesshomaru speaks.

Kagome looks up at Sesshomaru and then at the demon named 'Fu'. She expects Fu to go into a speech of how he doesn't trust her to be with his lord, but to Kagome's surprise, the demon- Fu- bows and leaves.

"Priestess, explain yourself." Sesshomaru demands, standing several feet from her at the same spot he had stood upon entering the garden.

Kagome blinks, turning her attention to Sesshomaru. "About... what?" She asks, now focusing on Sesshomaru.

He's wearing a hanfu as well, hair down as always. Despite his drastic change in his wear, Kagome still sees him the ever dignified warrior he is. It probably helps that the material of his clothing look the finest of the lands. Now that Kagome thinks about it, she has never seen Sesshomaru look disheveled. She wonders if it has to do with his status or a personal preference?

"Priestess." Sesshomaru says, getting her attention.

Kagome suspects he had answered her question and she hadn't heard, and that's why there's the sound of light annoyance to his tone. Kagome apologizes. "I'm... sorry. I got distracted." She says with a small smile, hoping her smile lessens his next words.

Sesshomaru walks towards her. Kagome only stares. "Yes, you seem to have a very short attention span, priestess."

Kagome had begun to wonder when the insults would come pouring in. It didn't take him long.

"Do you insult all your guests?" Kagome mumbles.

"I also do not interrogate my guests, priestess."

Kagome parts her lips, ready to ask what he means, when she connects two and two. She's not a guest of his, at least not by choice, and if she's not a guest....

"The attack. You rescued me because you wanted to interrogate me-" Kagome frowns. "How did you find me? What happened to the demon?"

Sesshomaru sits on a bench across from Kagome, forearms sliding into his sleeves as one leg crosses over the other. He had forgotten how much the priestess favors replying to questions with her own.

"You emerged from the sky." Sesshomaru replies. "That is the extent of my knowledge. I expect you to know more. Much more."

Kagome chews on her bottom lip. "I-" Her shoulders sag, elbows going to the top of her knee as she hunches over and hides her face into her hands. She sighs, breath shaky. "I was attacked."

Sesshomaru releases a sound akin to a snort and Kagome raises her head high enough to glare at Sesshomaru. "That much is obvious, priestess."

"Well, it's... it's a lot to relive." Kagome sits back against the bench. "I lost... I lost a friend. He was devoured right before my eyes and there was nothing I could do." Kagome bites her lower lip, arms wrapping around herself in a subconscious attempt to comfort herself.

She falls silent and Sesshomaru allows her the time needed for her to continue. Normally, Sesshomaru would demand a quick explanation but he had learned from Rin that humans are delicate creatures- far more delicate than he thought. While he would not give the priestess hours, days- he would give her a few minutes before demanding an answer. Thankfully, the priestess only takes a couple of minutes to continue her explanation. Sesshomaru believes that her ability to retell a traumatic event with little difficulty is due to her experience in fighting Naraku.

"It was in my time."

At that, Sesshomaru interrupts her. "You mentioned demons not existing in your era, priestess."

Kagome notices the way he narrows his eyes upon her, suspicious.

"And they don't exist." Kagome reassures. "Those pillars of lights, they appeared in my time. The tears we saw, the demons would exit and enter from there. It was... it was chaos everywhere. The demons were attacking people and things and- and it was a blur. I was running, just trying to make it back to the well- I only thought it was one at that time-."

"The tear transported you to this era." Sesshomaru states, attempting to guide the conversation to his interest.

Kagome nods lightly. "I know this isn't going to make any sense but, inside the tear, it felt similar to the Bone Eater's Well. When I travel through time, the flow of time has this certain feel to it and... well, the tear felt similar."

"How so?"

Kagome sighs, thinking on how exactly to explain it. "When I go through the Bone Eater's Well, there's a pulsing warmth and a clear connection. There's also an aura about it but I can't really describe it, just that I know what it is when I feel it. The aura of the tear felt a little soothing but not necessarily like the welcoming warmth of the Bone Eater's Well... now that I think about it. There wasn't a clear connection either, like there wasn't a pull to one time or another. The aura felt all over the place too- it wasn't evil but it wasn't good either." She shrugs.

"Without guidance, without assistance of any sort, you somehow managed to miraculously fall upon my lands. Specifically, priestess, in the area where I was travelling." Sesshomaru continues to watch her through narrowed eyes.

"I was _thinking_ of Inuyasha. I guess the tear must have mistaken you for Inuyasha." Kagome says, rolling her eyes.

""I am  _nothing_ like that half-breed." Sesshomaru hisses, suddenly in front of Kagome and very much displeased by the comparison.

Kagome raises both her hands in front of her, palms facing Sesshomaru, trying to deescalate the situation. "Sesshomaru, please, I'm not insinuating that."

When Sesshomaru doesn't speak, doesn't move, Kagome continues to speak. "I was thinking of Inuyasha's features and I guess the tear honed in on the location of the closest being with that resemblance; the white or silver hair, the golden eyes...." Kagome wants to motion at Sesshomaru's features as she mentions them but thinks it unwise.

It takes a lengthy uncomfortable, for Kagome at least, silence for Sesshomaru to make his decision.

He chooses not to press the matter further, turning on his heel and walking towards the exit of the garden.

Kagome stops him.

"Wait, Sesshomaru." She stands and makes her way to Sesshomaru as quickly as she can. "I need to go back home. I don't know where this place is and I don't know how to leav-"

"You are not allowed to leave." Sesshomaru interrupts, taking one step forward before Kagome moves in front of him.

"You can't hold me against my will, Sesshomaru."

"Priestess, you have information that is valuable. I will not lose information because you desire an early death by attempting to leave the safety of my palace." Sesshomaru looks down at Kagome, noting the fire in her eyes.

Ah, yes, she has never been one to back down even when it is the obvious correct choice.

"Believe it or not, Sesshomaru, I'm more than capable of defending myself." She crosses her arms over her chest, shifting her weight onto one hip.

"Yes, because the definition of someone that is  _more than capable_ of defending oneself is you, priestess." Sesshomaru sneers.

Well, Kagome can't really argue against that, not without making herself more of fool than she already has.

The way Kagome sees it, she has two options. One, she can continue making a fool of herself by trying to prove that she's some untouchable warrior. Sesshomaru instantly shutdown that option. Two, she can plead her case.

Great.

"Sesshomaru, please." She wraps her arms around herself, deciding to throw her pride away. "I'm worried about my family. I don't if they're in danger. I don't know if they're alive." She looks up into Sesshomaru's eyes. "They're to me what Rin is to you. Please, let me go."

Sesshomaru watches her, unmoved by her emotional approach. "You stated yourself, priestess, that you are ignorant of this area. You will surely perish if I were to allow you to leave. You are worthless dead to your family and myself but you are of worth to me if you remain here."

"What if I had an escort?" Kagome asks. "You have several of servants, bodyguards-"

"All of which are incapable of protecting themselves and you simultaneously."

"Why?"

"Because you are human."

"What about me being human makes it impossible of-"

"You are a liability at best." Sesshomaru feels himself growing weary from the conversation, as displayed by his curt reply.

"But... not to you." Kagome's eyebrows go up, surprising herself by the suggestion.

"And why, pray tell, would I lower myself to be a guard for a human?" Sesshomaru questions with slightest smirk forming at the corner of his lips.

Kagome hadn't thought that far. In fact, she hadn't thought about it at all. She's simply surprised that Sesshomaru hasn't launched her out of the palace for the multiple times she had, unintentionally, disrespected him.

"I see you are grasping at straws, priestess." He lightly tilts his head to the left, eyes focusing on the exit behind Kagome. "You are to be escorted back to your chambers-"

"No." Kagome opposes firmly.

Sesshomaru's eyes fall onto Kagome again, daring her to repeat herself.

She does.

"I'm not going to stay here and be your little book. I need to know what happened to my family. I need to be there, not here." Kagome turns on her heels and heads for the exit of the garden. "If you don't want to help me, fine. I can figure it out on my own. If I end up dying-" Kagome stops, hands balling up into fists, and glares over her shoulder at Sesshomaru. "Then I'll die on my terms."

"If you are prepared to die, allow me to end your life now." Sesshomaru states, appearing in front of her. He lifts his right hand, flexing his fingers.

The bones of his hands crack, menacingly so, and Kagome suddenly realizes her position. She knows Sesshomaru. He knows her. They're not friends. There's no written rule that Sesshomaru can't slice her to ribbons if he so wishes and Kagome had given him plenty of reasons to wish just that. She's also still recovering. She doesn't think she could possibly stand a chance against Sesshomaru when she's at her very best and now? Well, she's the equivalent of a bunny backed against a wall staring into the mouth of a very pissed and hungry wolf.

She thinks over her choices of either continue being headstrong or tackling a more calming a political approach. She's never been one for politics, but she doesn't have a better choice at the moment.

Sure, Sesshomaru is in the wrong by attempting to force her under house arrest but she's also in the wrong for throwing a fit after he had done so much for her- even if his reason were and are selfish.

"Wait." Kagome raises her hands up before her chest, palms facing Sesshomaru. "Lets... lets negotiate."

Sesshomaru arches an eyebrow lightly, in that manner that Kagome has learned to mean explain.

"We both need each other, whether we like that or not." Kagome begins, trying to be cautious to not offend Sesshomaru. "We agreed before to work together but we didn't go into detail, right?"

When he doesn't reply, Kagome continues.

"Right...." Kagome slowly lowers her hands as Sesshomaru's hands slip into opposite sleeves of his hanfu.

He's listening, so that's good.

"If you find a way to let me visit my time, to see my family, I'll-" Kagome stops, not having thought she would have gotten as far as she had. "I'll do anything." When Sesshomaru moves to speak, Kagome quickly adds, "Within reason. I'm not sacrificing my morals."

"Your knowledge is invaluable, anything else is superfluous." Sesshomaru answers simply.

"What if I offer you more knowledge?" Kagome says, clinging onto the hope that Sesshomaru is moved by the pursuit of knowledge. He has been, after all, constantly focusing on knowledge in their conversation. "I work as a curator in my time, specifically a curator of artifacts, and if that doesn't interest you, I can use my connections to find what does interest you."

At that, Sesshomaru says nothing- considering her words. It is true that he fancies the pursuit of knowledge and it is also true that the priestess has demonstrated having knowledge that he is unaware of. As of recent, it had become more challenging to come upon artifacts, scrolls, and books of interest- and even more challenging for him to come across stimulating findings. It would be beneficial to both parties if Sesshomaru were to accept her proposal... but, of course, Sesshomaru can't allow the priestess to know that her offer is very acceptable to him.

"You are attempting to bribe me." Sesshomaru states plainly.

"Negotiate." Kagome corrects.

Sesshomaru tilts his head to right ever so slightly, the act barely noticeable to Kagome. She wonders how many times he has made such small movements that have gone unnoticed by her.

"Very well." Sesshomaru replies, noticing the way the priestess relaxes almost immediately. "However-"

Kagome stiffens.

"I have conditions of my own."

Kagome should have known it would have been too good to be true for Sesshomaru to have easily let her off. It's only an  _equal_ negotiation if it's an _unequal_ negotiation with Sesshomaru benefiting the most.

"Okay." Kagome's shoulders sag. "What're your conditions?"

"Your offerings will continue until I say so. These offerings will be given to me when I wish it." Sesshomaru explains.

Well, that will end up being a pain in the ass sooner or later but it's doable. "Okay, I can do that-"

"You will also remain at my side whenever you are in this era."

Kagome blinks, slowly, at the- hopefully- final condition. "I... I'm sorry, Sesshomaru, but I can't do that. I have to be with my friends and I don't think Inuyasha will like that-"

"What that half-breed does or does not like is not of my concern."

Kagome rubs at her temples, feeling a headache creeping in. "Of course." She sighs. "I can't be by your side all the time, Sesshomaru. I have to be with my friends as well. Can't we compromise on that?"

Sesshomaru feigns to be in thought. He hadn't had the intention of keeping the priestess at his side at all times. While he tolerates the priestess now more than he had in the beginning, he's still not fond of humans and prefers to do as little as possible with them. His plan is to see how far he can push the priestess, how much gain he can draw out of her.

"I am willing to compromise on this condition. You will come whenever I call upon you. This, I will do as little as possible." Sesshomaru states his true second condition.

Kagome doesn't like the fact that she'll be on-call but it's a great improvement from having to constantly be at his side. "Okay, yes. I can do that."

At this point, she's almost willing to accept any offer if it means that she can quickly get back home.

"Very well. I will create a contract upon our return."

"Our return?" Kagome follows after Sesshomaru, the latter exiting the garden.

"Yes, we leave immediately."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been quite a minute, huh? My nonexistent updating schedule will probably be more out-of-sorts since a new term has started for me. To everyone out there that hates math and is currently taking a math-heavy course or will be taking it, I feel your pain. We'll get through it.
> 
> Please leave your lovely comments and I hope you enjoyed the update!


	10. Detour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will be posting these names as a reminder/refresher before each chapter.
> 
> [Western Lands]  
> Lord of the Western Lands: Sesshomaru | Lady of the Western Lands: Sunako [mother of Sesshomaru]  
> [Inu Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Northern Lands]  
> Lord of the Northern Lands: Seto [deceased] | Lady of the Northern Lands: Sei  
> [Ryuu Daiyokai ruled previously, currently Neko Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Southern Lands]  
> Lord of the Southern Lands: Hyousuke| Lady of the Southern Lands: Akane  
> [Vampire/Kyuuketsuki Daiyokai ruled]
> 
> [Eastern Lands]  
> Lord of the Eastern Lands: Shinobu | Lady of the Eastern Lands: Yama  
> [Tengu Daiyokai ruled]

Kagome spares a glance in the direction of Sesshomaru.

"Priestess, speak your mind." Sesshomaru speaks, breaking the silence.

Kagome startles, gripping the reins of A-Un tighter. "I... there's nothing on my mind."

Sesshomaru turns his head in her direction. "Then cease your constant gazing."

"I wasn't gazing-" Kagome bites her lower lip. "Sorry, I... I actually do have something I want to talk about."

Sesshomaru isn't surprised by this. He knows little of the priestess' personality but he is aware that she is the type to speak her mind, often. When she doesn't speak her mind, the priestess has a tendency to fidget or continuously  _sneak_ glances at the object of her interest. It's unsettling to Sesshomaru, so much that he would rather engage the priestess in conversation.

"Speak."

Kagome loosens her hold on A-Un's reins, apologizing if she caused him discomfort. "Why did you agree to leave so quickly? I was told that I haven't fully recovered."

Sesshomaru wonders why the woman never asks questions that require a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer. "Would you have followed the physicians orders for recovery had you remained in my palace?"

Kagome smiles sheepishly, understanding his dig at her. "Point taken, but, won't traveling make my recovery period longer?"

"It could very well." Sesshomaru replies

Silence.

Kagome sighs, looking into the distance. She's never traveled without having a conversation here and there. Miroku, as lecherous as he had been throughout their travel, had always added fun to their group. Sango had been like a sister, and being a woman gave Kagome someone to discuss more delicate topics with. Sure, she could have discussed them with Miroku but Kagome's certain it would've ended with Miroku having a very fine imprint of Kagome's hand on one or both cheeks. Then there was Inuyasha. Sure, she and Inuyasha butted heads a lot with them both being stubborn and hotheaded but some of their arguments had given Kagome the needed venting she needed while other arguments helped her grow as a person. Really, she's still stubborn but she had mature so much since those days... although as of recent she can't say she's represented her growth very well. Maturing doesn't mean she doesn't have her outbursts.

How she wishes Shippo could be by her side right now. Shippo could always keep her grounded, or at least reassure her. Something about his innocence and his strong will could brighten almost any bad day Kagome had. Kirara reminded Kagome of home. When Kirara would mew and rub herself against Kagome, it made the priestess think back to how Buyo would comfort her in a similar manner.

"How long until we get there?"

"Some time." Sesshomaru replies.

Kagome frowns. "But how long is _some_?"

Sesshomaru casts a glance in her direction, annoyance clear.

"I just want to get there as quick as possible."

"Our travel would have been swift if not for your poor conditions."

"I didn't exactly plan on a demon apocalypse and barely escaping with my life." Kagome defends herself.

"The physical injuries sustained from your fight are not to blame, but rather your incompetence in the basics of the spiritual side of being a priestess."

Kagome blinks, surprised that he had spoken so much for one and secondly that it seemed as if he had advised her... or hinted on her underlying problem of spiritual exhaustion. "What do you mea-"

A-Un growls and dives, earning a yelp of surprise from Kagome. "A-Un, what's wron-?!" Kagome doesn't finish her question, again.

A-Un barely manages to evade a lightning bolt, a second, and a third.

That alarms Kagome.

She's unable to detect an enemy from a distance, not in her current state, but she's still able to detect a nearby demonic presence. She _should_ be able to. Nothing. Kagome whips her head around, grip tight on A-Un's reigns, trying to spot the source from which the lightning strikes come from. The problem, however, is her inability to focus with A-Un's dives and turns. What she does see is Sesshomaru engaged in combat with an emaciated winged demon, skin nothing more than a black and red glob-like undulating substance.

Kagome knows it's unwise, she knows she shouldn't, but at the appearance of two more of those emaciated demons- Kagome grabs her bow from her back, an arrow from the quiver strapped to A-Un's side, and notches it. She squeezes her thighs, trying to get as much hold on A-Un as she can seeing as how her hands are free from the reigns. Bad idea, especially with A-Un still very much focused on evading, but Kagome has help Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru's currently on defense, elegantly  and effortlessly dodging each slash and dived attack from all three demons, but Kagome can tell that waiting for an opening isn't a luxury they can count on. She pushes the flow of spiritual energy into her notched arrow, biting her lip against the dull pain that comes with the action. Her vision begins to darken at the corners but she forces more of her spiritual energy into her arrow. It's risky, it's dumb, and a good way to pass out mid-battle, but Kagome needs to put as much as she can in her shot; these demons aren't exactly easy enemies.

Holding her spiritually-infused arrow shows to be a greater exhaustion than Kagome had previously thought. In her condition, her spiritual energy is more focused on defense and recuperation rather than offense. The priestess can feel the spiritual energy in her arrow attempting to flow back into her body. It's draining to keep her spiritual energy within and outward, in the arrow, separate- especially when all that's keeping her on A-Un is her thighs tight on the poor dragon demon.

A-Un dives again, this time providing Kagome the small window of opportunity to take shot at one of the three demon that had unwisely, or perhaps arrogantly, strayed from the other two. Her arrow flies straight and true, leaving a bright trail of flecks of purple and white in its wake. The demon is almost instantly purified, barely managing an agonizing cry before becoming dust in the wind. Knowing not to let her guard down in the midst of a battle, Kagome goes for a second arrow- but never manages to notch it. Before her very eyes appears one of the remaining two demons, jaw slack to the middle of it's chest.

Kagome gasps and everything happens in slow motion to her. She throws herself in the opposite direction to evade but A-Un dodges a lightning strike simultaneously, the momentum throws Kagome off A-Un and into the sky. A-Un tries to fly after her but the lightning strikes keep him at bay each every time it tries to reach her. Well... on the bright side, she managed to evade the demon's attack. On the other side, she's now falling through the sky with a very pissed demon diving to her.

Kagome whips herself in the air so her back is to the earth below and her front facing the demon diving down at her. She notches the arrow and takes aim, moving her aim as the demon barrel rolls to evade a set aim on it.

' _S_ _mart,_ ' thinks Kagome bitterly, keeping her eyes trained on the demon... until he disappears.

"Whe-" Kagome gasps, staring into the chilling white pupil and black iris of the demon.

Her movement is slow, to her, as she holds her bow against her chest, reading herself to deflect a blow as best as she can. The blow comes, thankfully charged with demonic energy which makes it easier to give rise to her spiritual energy to deflect it. The impact creates a blast, a blast which brings her several feet closer to the ground beneath. Kagome moves to ready her arrow again but her body grows heavy, heavy to the point of not being able to move. Her bow and quiver slips away from her fingers as her body goes almost wholly slack, breathing shallow and vision flickering in and out.

The demon roars, a victorious roar, before diving to Kagome again. She doesn't comprehend, not immediately, the flicker of silver and the anguished scream until her vision has a moment of clarity. Above her falling form, positioned horizontally over her, is Sesshomaru's back to her front. She can vaguely see Bakusaiga outstretched to the demon but she _can_ feel Bakusaiga's demonic energy having been recently released.

She sees Sesshomaru spin so he's facing her and feels one arm go around waist, pulling her against him. Her hands weakly grab at his clothing, cheek almost reaching his shoulder but instead pressed against the breastplate armor of his. She feels, their position shift to a vertical one, and then a sudden halt and a rush back. They landed, that much Kagome knows but she isn't aware of their current situation. Had the second demon been completely taken care of? Are they facing one or two demons? Is Sesshomaru handling the situation or is he having trouble by holding her?

"Sesshomaru," Kagome whispers, pressing herself against him further when his hold on her tightens. "You have to put me do-"

She gasps softly as she's hoisted up, enough for her chin to rest on Sesshomaru's shoulder, the breastplate of Sesshomaru's digging into her flesh- it's uncomfortable but not painfully so. She doesn't doubt that the jolt up had everything to do with Sesshomaru needing better mobility. Kagome tries to keep her body as flexible and as out-of-the-way as she can but there's only so much she, and Sesshomaru, can do in their less-than-ideal position. Her intention had been to ask Sesshomaru to set her down but she now realizes that he's not being given the opportunity to do so. Maybe the demons aren't as dumb as she thought them to be.

Sooner or later, either she or Sesshomaru will get hit- it's bound to happen. Kagome remembers, in his previous fight, how Sesshomaru's hand had turned black after coming into contact with the black and red substance of the demon. Luckily, Sesshomaru's poison had been able to rid his body of it but... Kagome isn't willing to bet chance immunity against the demon... and apparently neither is Sesshomaru.

The demon roars, forcing Kagome to curl into Sesshomaru- the sound shaking her almost to the very core. She grits her teeth, hold tightening even further as she musters the energy and courage to keep her eyes open, gaze focused behind Sesshomaru and before her. It's a good thing, she thinks, that she decided to keep her eyes open because otherwise she wouldn't have been able to warn Sesshomaru of the other demon readying to attack from behind. Sesshomaru spins down into a squat, half-sitting and half-laying Kagome over his lap, in order to dodge both attacks from both demons. With his free hand, he slices horizontally at both demons as he spins up into a stand. All Kagome can do throughout the nauseating movements is to hold tight and hold on for dear life... all while praying to the heavens she doesn't end up vomiting the contents all over Sesshomaru. Maybe eating as much as she had before their journey hadn't been a good idea.

The dual attack of the demons offers Sesshomaru the break in the fight needed to set Kagome down but not enough of a break to set her down at a distance. Considering the enemies, Sesshomaru doesn't think it wise to have set the priestess at a distance.

Kagome thanks Sesshomaru with her voice barely above a whisper, but she knows Sesshomaru hears her.

"What now?" Kagome asks, hands on her stomach as she tries to will the contents down.

Sesshomaru spares a glance down at Bakusaiga, tilting it slightly left and then right before allowing his eyes to fall upon the demons. They have come together, pacing around one another while watching both he and Kagome. Their jaws click as it lowers and falls to their collarbone and up into place in a never ending loop. Sesshomaru thinks he could very well dispatch one with ease but handling two while protecting a priestess drained is much more... challenging, and not in the fun way.

Kagome does some analyzing on her own. She takes a small step away from Sesshomaru, keeping her eyes on the demons as she test the waters. Unsurprising to her, one of the demons snaps its head in her direction, wholly trained on her and her alone. She steps back close to Sesshomaru, noticing the way that it returns to pacing in tandem with the other demon.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hn."

"I have an idea."

"You're presuming to divide and conquer." Sesshomaru states, shocking Kagome.

"Uh... yeah, how did you-" Kagome stops. "Was it that obvious?"

Sesshomaru wonders why the priestess also favors asking questions that have no need to be answered. "It will end in your death, priestess."

"Not if I pull up a barrier. If you can create a distraction, long enough for me to get a head start, then I can give you enough time to deal with one of them. I'll lead one into the forest-"

"You presume to do as much in your state? " Sesshomaru raises Bakusaiga at one of the demon then the other and then back at the first.

"Alright, well, what's your plan?" Kagome places her hands on her hips, arching one eyebrow in question.

"We retreat." Sesshomaru states simply.

"Retreat?" Kagome asks, shock clear in her face and voice. "You just said I'm too slow to-"

"Yes, you are far too slow, priestess, but I am not. In your state, you are nothing more than a liability. The only correct choice, no matter how distasteful, is to retreat until you are... less of a liability."

Kagome looks back at the two demons. Sesshomaru is right. She's in no condition to fight, she can't run, and creating a barrier is already hard enough for Kagome when she's at her best- now? She'll be lucky if she doesn't accidentally blast Sesshomaru and thus giving him another reason to do away with her. She wonders just how much Sesshomaru is willing to put up with before he decides that it's probably easier to just deal with everything on his own and pursuit knowledge on his own.

"You're right." Kagome nods, noting the way that Sesshomaru spares a quick glance her way before his eyes are back on the two demons. "What, surprised that I'm agreeing with you?" Kagome smiles, teasing.

Sesshomaru doesn't reply but she swears she can see the slightest hint of amusement in the swift upward tick of a smirk. His foot, nearest to Kagome, slides in the direction of Kagome. It's a slow movement but both demons follow his movement. "Ready yourself."

Kagome moves to ask how exactly she should 'ready herself' but before she manages to ask for clarification, she's wrapped in mokomoko-sama, and witnessing trees flashing by far too quick for Kagome. She yelps, gripping onto mokomoko-sama in a death grip. She closes her eyes, trying to shield them from the dust being brought up from all three demons. She relies on her hearing and her ability to sense auras to get an idea of how their escape is going. She feels the demonic energy from Bakusaiga being released and can hear each blast tearing into earth. Focusing harder, she can hear the sound of air breaking as the demons pick up speed in order to catch up to Sesshomaru. She risks a peep, surprised to see herself in the air.

Kagome closes her eyes again, muttering a prayer under her breath as she feels them drop from the sky- landing softly. She feels them moving again but she doesn't dare take another peek at the rushing scene around them. There's only so much her stomach can take.

To Kagome, it seems like an endless sprint and an equal amount of defending and attacking. It's not until the Sesshomaru is setting her down, mokomoko-sama unfurling from around her that she opens her eyes. She bends at the knees, hands going to her knees, and breathes. She opens her eyes slowly, taking in the scene before her. "Are they... are they gone?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru sheathes Bakusaiga, tilting his head back afterwards and looking up at the evening sky. "A storm is brewing, one that appears to be unnatural."

Kagome straightens, looking up as well to notice the dark clouds forming. She doesn't know how she hadn't noticed such a dark energy before, maybe because she had been too busy trying not to color Sesshomaru with every bit of food she had ingested. No, a humorous approach doesn't make Kagome feel better. She truly has been weakened to the point of being unable to detect such a heavy clouding, no pun intended, of dark energy. She wraps her arms around herself as it begins to thunder.

"I guess we can't travel." Kagome frowns.

"It would be suicide otherwise." Sesshomaru turns on his heels and makes his way to the center of the area where large grey rocks grow up and towards each other, slanted.

Kagome thinks it looks beautiful. The rocks are eight each, coming together to form an almost wholly enclosed tip with the exception of the small cracks in between each slanted rock. She thinks it looks like an enclosed flower, waiting to bloom. She follows Sesshomaru, eyes never leaving the view before her. "Sesshomaru? Shouldn't we look for shelter?"

Instead of replying, Sesshomaru leaps gracefully onto one of the eight rocks. He kneels down, one hand going to what Kagome assumes to be the center of the settlement. She can't see from below... but she _can_ hear, feel, and see the shifting of the rocks. They don't move too much, their movement moving downward in a receding manner. Her eyes leave the rocks when they finish moving the little they need to and fall onto Sesshomaru to see him standing tall, looking at her.

"This will suffice." Sesshomaru states.

Kagome doesn't ask what he means by that, deciding to make her way up to his side. When she does reach his side, she's left speechless. The opening created exposes a beauty that Kagome can only sigh to in admiration. Down below shines a pool of water, a swirl of blue that is both light as a clear summer day sky and as dark as a midnight sky. It's a blue like no other she has seen. The very water seems to shine as if stars themselves had made the waters their home, an impossibility Kagome thinks... then again, what isn't possible in the feudal era? Her eyes fall to the the path winding down the entrance, leading into a cave before continuing to wind down into the waters themselves. "It's... beautiful." She breathes, one hand to her chest as she smiles at the peace it seems to offer.

Sesshomaru enters first, descending down the path with Kagome following behind. "But I don't understand, wouldn't this place flood when it starts to rain?"

Kagome receives her answer when the settlement closes, this time leaving no cracks that she can see. The darkness causes Kagome to come to a halt, one hand settling on the wall to her side. She goes to state the obvious to Sesshomaru, that she can't see, when the dwelling lights from the waters to the walls and the closed rocks above. The light is a soothing white with an occasional soft green glow, both bright enough to see without causing eye strain in the dark but not enough to where it's too bright. Again, Kagome can only breathe in the beauty.

"Sesshomaru, this place... this place is so beautiful. How do you know about it?" Kagome asks as they near the entrance of the cave, equally lit.

The Lord of the Western Lands decides to speak, if only in the hopes to leave her in thought by imparting some wisdom on her. "This is known as The Blossoming," He begins. "It is a well known location upon my lands, one very few attempt to venture to."

Kagome frowns at that. "Why? Is it because it's protected by you? Is it like an exclusive spot for the VVIP?"

Sesshomaru doesn't understand what a VVIP is but he can take a guess at it by her use of the term exclusive. "Only those that have a death wish come." He hears the priestess stop, feels the air shift around her as the priestess whips here head about to take a more careful viewing of their location. She doesn't spend much time, seeing as how he doesn't stop moving, and decides to catch up to Sesshomaru instead of attempting to see an invisible danger.

"What do you mean by having a death wish?" Kagome whispers, barely two feet away from Sesshomaru now.

"The air, the waters, and lights of this settlement act as a lure to ignorant and unsuspecting weak beings." Sesshomaru elaborates. "Once here, the prey is captured and slowly drained of their spiritual energy and eventually their soul."

Kagome jogs up to Sesshomaru, staying closer than before after his explanation. "Then why are we here?" She asks, focusing her sight on the swords at Sesshomaru's hips. She can ignore some of the light by focusing on a specific thing, avoid the water, but there's not much she can do about the air. It sends chills down her spine to know the exact danger she's in. "I know I'm drained spiritually but the value of my soul has gotten me in trouble before and... you? Well, you're a one in a million type of meal."

Sesshomaru doesn't know how he feels about being compared to a meal and doesn't quite understand it... unless the priestess means that he's of great nutritional value to the settlement due to his immense demonic energy. "Observe the settlement."

Kagome scoffs. "I'd rather not be zombified, thank you."

Sesshomaru arches an eyebrow down at her, Kagome looking up and noticing it when he says nothing more. Shoulders sagging, Kagome takes a quick look around before forcing her eyes back onto the swords at Sesshomaru's left hip. "Lights, rocks, water- right?"

"The intensity at which it illuminates indicates its state." Sesshomaru turns into the cave.

Except it's not a cave at all. It's more of a deep archway, a path, that leads to an opening to another side. "So the brighter... the fuller it is?" Kagome asks, smiling when Sesshomaru gives a small nod. "So it's not seeking a tasty snack right now because it's pretty much full?"

Another small nod.

Kagome's smile grows a little wider, both from being right and realizing she's not in danger. "You should've started with that."

They come up to the other side, the view much more awing. Like the view at the entrance, there is a pooling of water at the bottom- but this one is smaller. Around the pooling of water is grass, shrubs with plenty of berries of differing colors and sizes, and trees also bearing fruit. She takes in the flowers, the way they gently sway as if they were dancing. "Where's the wind coming from?" She asks Sesshomaru as they begin another descent.

"Small openings, far too small for you to detect." Sesshomaru replies.

Kagome doesn't need to know more and decides to walk the little ways down in silence until they reach ground.

"Do you know how long until the storm passes?" Kagome asks.

Well, the little ways to the ground had been exactly that: short.

"No."

Just like Sesshomaru's answer.

"How long can we stay here?" Kagome asks, sticking close to Sesshomaru. "How often does The Blossoming need to eat?"

Sesshomaru halts, Kagome nearly crashing against his back, before looking over his shoulder to the priestess. "Enough of your questioning. I will not be answering anymore questions."

Kagome bites on her lower lip, taking a few steps back. "Right, I... I'm sorry. I just don't like not knowing and I'm worried about my family, my friends-"

"Worrying will not aid you." Sesshomaru interrupts.

Kagome wraps her arms around herself, snorting and rolling her eyes. "I can't just switch off my worries, Sesshomaru. I mean... aren't you worried about Rin?"

Sesshomaru doesn't reply, instead walking to the pooling of water. When he doesn't move from the spot, for quite some time, Kagome guesses that he meant for her to follow after him. She does. Kagome looks at the water, carefully leaning over to look in. Upon closer inspection, Kagome realizes that the darker blue she had first noticed at the entrance from the other pooling of water had been the spot in which the depth drops while the lighter blue represents the more shallow parts.

She glances at Sesshomaru, watching as the light of the water illuminates Sesshomaru's golden eyes- giving them a sort of warmth to them. Truly the place is magical if it makes Kagome see such a thing in Sesshomaru's eyes. She looks away and to the waters when Sesshomaru looks her way.

"Sesshomaru, I know you said no more questions but what are we doing standing here?" Kagome gestures at the waters. "Is there something about it?"

"Get in."

At first, Kagome doesn't respond to Sesshomaru- not immediately- but when the words are repeated in her head and turned ever which way, Kagome comes to an understanding. She blinks, whipping around to face him with her hands crossed at her chest. " _Excuse_ me?!"

Sesshomaru simply arches an eyebrow at the woman. Again, with her terrible habit of wanting a reiteration when she had clearly heard what had been said.

"Did you just tell me to undress?!" Kagome steps back from Sesshomaru, eyes narrowing.

Ah. Sesshomaru fails to contain a light smirk at the ridiculous conclusion of the priestess. He decides to test the waters behind a false pretense of ignorance.

"How else should you go about it?" Sesshomaru asks, schooling his expression.

Truly, the way that the priestess' jaw goes slack and heat colors her cheeks red is amusing. Sesshomaru watches as the priestess mouth closes and opens a few five times or so, unable to come with a response to what she believes is an undignified question.

" _It?!_ " Kagome takes several steps away from Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru turns to face her fully. "Yes, priestess. You behave as if you have never done it."

Kagome feels her cheeks and ears burn red. "I- what- you-!"

Well, Kagome certainly isn't a virgin. She has had sex a few times and... it's nothing to be ashamed about! She's not ashamed, most definitely not, but she is incredibly uncomfortable with discussing her sex life with someone practically a stranger of intimacy. "You have no right to ask- how could you even ask-!"

"My intentions are to assist in your recovery, priestess."

"Oh, how very Miroku of you!" Kagome laughs at the absurdity of him and the situation.

 "I would assume the monk to be knowledgeable of this topic, to an extent." Sesshomaru continues.

At that, Kagome gasps, eyes wide- pointing one index finger straight at Sesshomaru. "You keep your distance or I swear-!"

Sesshomaru allows an eyebrow to rise in question. "Why would I do otherwise?"

Kagome narrows her eyes again. "Oh, now you suddenly don't know how _it_ works?"

Sesshomaru decides to end their game, turning from the priestess to face the water. "The waters contain spiritual energy, spiritual energy which decrease your recovery period. To my knowledge, placing your hands and feet into the waters should suffice."

Kagome doesn't give Sesshomaru an answer, not immediately. She first allows the information to sink, wondering if it's true or not. Surely, Sesshomaru wouldn't try to get her killed because she turned him down.

 _'Turning him down.'_ Kagome laughs, inwardly, at the stupidity of those words.  _'As if Sesshomaru would ever hit on anyone, let alone me! What was I thinking? Of course Sesshomaru didn't mean sex!'_

Then, Kagome feels embarrassment and regret settle in. She had chewed Sesshomaru out when he had only tried to help her, in a very misleading way but... surely Sesshomaru hadn't meant to make his advice sound like one long string of innuendos. No, of course not. Then again, he had told her to undress... not remove her shoes. "Then why did you tell me to undress?"

Sesshomaru glances her way, momentarily. "Is that not what you would be required to do?"

"You could have phrased it another way." She mumbles.

"Hmn." Sesshomaru feigns sudden realization as he turns his head to look at the priestess fully. "You seemed to have misunderstood my intentions."

Kagome blinks, blood rushing to her cheeks once more. "I wouldn't have if you wouldn't have phrased your words so...." Kagome makes an on-and-on motion with a hand, keeping her eyes off Sesshomaru.

"I have no interest in you, priestess, this I guarantee." Sesshomaru turns his attention back to the waters.

"Good. Great. I'm glad that's out the way." Kagome speaks, rushed and still very much embarrassed.

"Hn." Sesshomaru replies.

No more words are spoken between the two, the sound of the thunderstorm roaring above filling what would be otherwise silence. Kagome keeps to the edge of the waters, slowly and consciously removing her rice straw sandals before her socks follow. Really, she hadn't thought about it before- how she had been changed clothing at the palace- but she's very grateful now. She had awoken in a simple yukata but changed before her journey. She was dressed in a crested hakama, a dark grey at the bottom turning lighter the higher it goes- eventually turning cream at the obi. Instead of a simple top, a white montsuki kimono was chosen for her- finished with a white haori. She tried to argue with Tong and SuSu that she wouldn't need such a beautiful attire on her journey but they convinced her otherwise, using a mixture of guilt-tripping and complimenting to have Kagome accept it. Now, she realizes that it had been a smart choice as well. Fighting demons in the feudal era was one thing but adding heels, slacks, and a ruffled dress top was surely going to make fighting that much more difficult. Not only that but her clothing had been pretty much ruined in her escape attempt in the modern era. The offered clothing, on the other hand, provided Kagome with not only easy mobility but warmth from the cold spring weather that her other clothing would have not.

If she comes across the two demoness again, Kagome hopes she will be able to reward them somehow.

She sets her tabi aside, along with her sandals, before sitting at the edge of the waters. She rolls up her hakama to her knees, rolling it repeatedly until it stays above her knees, before scooting closer to the edge. She enters with one big toe first, almost sighing at the blissful warmth, before entering with one leg to the knee and then the next. She sits back on her palms, eyes closing momentarily before guilt and worry begins to gnaw at her. Sitting up, Kagome pulls the haori close- curling into herself as she looks into the waters, all the while thinking of home.

' _Please, be okay._ ' Kagome wishes, sending a silent prayer for the protection of her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of action, a little bit of comedy, and a little bit of what may or may not come between them in the (distant future). Remember, slow burn!
> 
> Hopefully you enjoyed the small lull. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated and encouraged~!


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